Hong Kong Jockey Club Faces Biggest Threat From Web
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For 126 years, the Hong Kong Jockey Club has survived equine flu, bribery scandals, the Japanese invasion and the return to China. Now the operator that takes more money per race than any other faces a bigger challenge: the Internet.
As members gather in private boxes this weekend, to dine on steamed sea perch with crushed fava beans and sip Chateau Margaux at the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Classic Cup, about a third of the money wagered on the thoroughbreds will bypass the club’s monopoly and go to unauthorized Internet betting sites.