Yesterday it was reported that horse racing was finally returning to China's shores after a 65-year ban on the activity enforced by the Communists after 1949.
For Shanghai, which once hosted a huge, world-famous race track where People's Park stands today, the news could almost herald a return to the glory days of what was then Asia's greatest metropolis.
Such premature hopes were dashed, however, when the government later declared the rumors null. The Civil Affairs Bureau came down hard on the China Jockey Club , declaring the organization, launched in Beijing just last month, unregistered and "illegally run."
China's official Philanthropic Times further expounded that, contrary to their claims, the group's gambling arm had no direct ties to the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Civil Affairs, or General Administration of Sport. Most sponsors and partners listed, in fact, have denied any relation to the club, whose servers are based in the US state of Maine. Club secretary Lily Davis denied that they had anything to do with the articles proclaiming equestrian betting's triumphant return
Authorities reiterated that the China Jockey Club is merely a non-governmental association and does not have the authority to announce any changes in state policy. Explaining that rumors of horse racing's return come and go every year, they reminded the public that relevant laws would first have to be enacted before "jumping on horseback" on such a major announcement.
That means that for the foreseeable future, you'll have to keep going down to Hong Kong if you want to bet on the horses.
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