MACAO -- The official end of horse racing in Macao on Monday marks the latest shift on the former Portuguese colony's gambling scene, just as the territory's casinos storm back from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Macau Jockey Club (MJC) terminated its concession contract with the government on Monday, after 44 years of running the races and related betting. Over the weekend, thousands gathered at the timeworn Taipa Racecourse to watch thoroughbreds thunder down the track for the last time. "It is so sad," said Ho Kai Ming, a retired salesman from Hong Kong who had been coming to watch the races for decades.