RacingBetter News
	Thursday 22nd July 2021

Which Are the Biggest Horse Racing Markets?

Over the past eighteen months, gambling options just like this energy casino and betting options have continued to grow as a growing audience have become more adventurous in the choices they make – with brick and mortar betting locations closing however it has helped online betting thrive for many different sporting events – one of the most popular is certainly within horse racing and as we’re well into the racing season we’ve already seen some great results, but which are the biggest horse racing betting markets in the world?

Japan – For those unfamiliar with racing it may come as a surprise that Japan tops the list as the country with the biggest betting market on horse racing as it hosts over 21,000 official races per  year and hosts some of the biggest races to boot – up until 2017 it held the richest turf race in the world too which had only recently been replace by a new option in Australia. As one of the few sports in Japan that is legal to bet on as gambling and betting as a whole largely remains illegal, it’s no surprise that it has become some big, and no surprise that the number of fans for racing in the country continue to grow too.

[Image: Bloomberg.com]

Australia – Speaking of the richest turf race in the world, Australia recently overtook Japan when it launched the Everest race in Sydney with a prize of £11 million, and whilst it may still be an obscure racing scene to some around the world, there’s plenty of familiarity for those in the UK. It is becoming much more common to see big names in racing head down under for their chance to compete in the growing number of prestigious races, and whilst the current betting market is much smaller than alternatives like Japan, it is one of the fastest growing and may quickly find itself closing ground.

USA – This is certainly one that won’t come as a surprise either as the USA holds its spot as the second biggest market in the world and hosts some of the most prestigious events too from the likes of the Triple Crown and the Stakes that are run throughout the year, to bigger draws in the Kentucky Derby too. It was a market that initially struggled with betting legislation in the country being slow to change, but with either in-person betting at the tracks or online betting becoming more widely available, it is one that has seen tremendous growth in a relatively short period of time to get it to the spot it currently sits at.

It’ll come as no surprise that the UK certainly plays a huge role in the racing market too, but as these locations continue to push their own racing market forwards it’ll be no surprise to see some of the more prestigious races available become more popular than even the big names like Cheltenham and the Ascot at home, particularly if the money is just right too.