New initiatives to enhance customer experience for season 2022/23

02/09/2022 12:14

WAGERING OFFERINGS AND ENHANCEMENTS

Fixed Odds Betting (Horse Racing)

Launch of Trainer Challenge

Currently for fixed odds offerings in horse race betting, only the Jockey Challenge is available and in response to the customer’s ever-changing needs, the Club will launch the Trainer Challenge from 11 September’s season opening at Sha Tin.

This is another fixed odds product for the new racing season. Customers who correctly pick the trainer with the highest accumulated Trainer Challenge points in a Trainer Challenge – similar to the Jockey Challenge – will be eligible for a dividend.

As the Trainer Challenge will be offered at each local racing fixture, the Winning Trainer (Composite Win) – a bet type for picking the Trainer available only for certain appropriate races – will be suspended.

Rule amendments to Jockey Challenge

Two modifications have been made to the rules of the Jockey Challenge:

Item number added

Commencing from the 2022/23 racing season, one or more Jockey Challenge markets may be offered during a race meeting. To accommodate this amendment, the Jockey Challenge will carry an item number, “Jockey Challenge 1”. In the event that “Jockey Challenge 1” is declared void, “Jockey Challenge 2” may be offered, and so on in numbered order during any race meeting. However, only one Jockey Challenge market will be offered at any one time.

Dead-heat calculation

Currently, for dead-heats, if two or more jockeys accumulate the same number of points in a race meeting, the number of places will be counted. Under the amendment, the points earned for each place will automatically be counted, starting from first place to third place (Photo 1). In the event that the accumulated points are the same again for third place, the value of fourth place will be compared (Photo 2).

A new ticket (Photo 3) for the Trainer Challenge and the Jockey Challenge will be available at Off-Course Betting Branches (OCBBs) and racecourses. Customers are required to mark the bet type and the item number when placing bets. Those who place bets through Telebet or using Interactive Services including Online Betting Service (eWin), Classic 3-in-1 and Racing Touch are not required to do so as the item number will update automatically (Photo 4).

For more information about the Trainer Challenge^ and the Jockey Challenge rule amendments^, please visit our OCBBs and racecourses for the latest leaflet or browse the Club’s website at www.hkjcracing.com.

Provision of “Auto Accept Odds”

In order to enhance the customer betting experience and minimise bet rejections when there is a change in odds, the Club will provide a new service – “Auto Accept Odds” – for fixed odds products in horse racing and football betting. Under this new service, when the bet cannot be accepted due to a change in odds, the system will re-generate the bet with updated odds for customers to re-confirm. If the new odds (higher than original) have fulfilled the set of risk monitoring factors, the bet will be accepted automatically by the system (Photo 5). As a result, customers no longer have to re-input bets due to a fluctuation in odds.

The “Auto Accept Odds” is available for online betting account services only. To enjoy this new service, account holders are required to contact the Customer Care Hotline at 1818 or browse the HKJC Customer eCentre on the Club’s website for registration (Photo 6).

Pari-mutuel Horse Race Betting

The following offerings will be available from 10 September’s Irish Champion Stakes Day simulcast and 11 September’s season opening at Sha Tin.

Takeout reduction for Tierce

Following the takeout rate reduction on the Trio, another betting pool – the Tierce – will also see its takeout rate reduced by 3%, down to 22 % from 25% in the new racing season, providing more value to the mass customers.

Rebate available for overseas simulcasts

The rebate scheme currently available for local races will expand to include simulcast races. Rebates will be offered for the pools of Win, Place, Quinella, Quinella Place and Merged Pool Win on losing bets placed on simulcast overseas races (excludes outbound commingling pools). Any ticket or betline with a total losing bet amount of HK$10,000 or above will be eligible to receive a rebate of 6% (Photo 7). The rebate is applicable for a bet placed in the format of Single, All Up or Cross Pool All Up.

^ In the event of any inconsistency between this document and the Horse Race Betting Rules, the Horse Race Betting Rules shall prevail.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Since 2014, the Club has launched the digital transformation of its wagering experience with successful offerings including the HKJC FPS instant funds transfer, GoalX mobile betting apps, HKJC Account Opening and HKJC Customer eCentre, all of which continue to receive significant customer up-take; in the new season, the following enhancements will be made available:

New Racing Touch app

An update to the Racing Touch app – which already brings together comprehensive racing information, live streaming, and instant betting – will be available by October. A brand new interface design (photo 8) with new features include customisation on interface, specialised racing info page, content enhancement with lifetime form records, exclusive trackwork calendar with custom-made trackwork videos (photo 9), and also do-it-yourself speed maps to be added later.

Enhanced HKJC TV app

The HKJC TV app continues to provide free live streaming and infotainment on its Racing, Football and Mark Six TV Channels. A brand new interface design and the new feature “Find My Horse” (photo 10) (empowered by AI) – which assists customers to see where their selected horses are in the running during live races – will be available. Other new features include interface customisation for the live page of the Racing Channel, while the “Multi-Angled Cam” (photo 11) will offer additional angles on the leading horse and patrol view later.

New Personalised Experiences and Mission Centre

To enhance the interactive element for customers when wagering, both racing and football fans will be able to create their own avatar profiles (photo 12). Fans can share their profile pictures in different emotions (photo 13) and betting information. Customers can receive special items as rewards to enhance their avatars by completing daily missions (photo 14). New features for the personalised Racing Notes are also available on both Racing Touch and eWin apps.

New Banks for HKJC FPS

New banks have been engaged and the HKJC FPS service is now connected with all retail banks and two virtual banks in Hong Kong.

OCBB (OFF-COURSE BETTING BRANCHES) RENOVATIONS

The refurnished Stanley Street Shop in Central reopened on 5 July. As a new experience store since the opening of LOHAS Shop last year, the four-floor shop is integrated with catering facilities, leisure and digital betting services. Demonstrating the Club’s commitment, the shop offers a redefined entertainment experiences to customers.

During the middle of August, the Club has launched its fourth experience store in Kwun Tong Plaza. Featuring a glamping theme with nature elements, the three-storey shop provides a whole new entertainment experience to customers. The Merchandising Zone and KOL (key opinion leaders) Room on G/F offer customers with various interactive activities.

The four Racing & Football simulation facilities on M/F allow visitors to have a first-hand experience of jockeys’ and football simulation training. In Turfland, a 80-seat capacity restaurant on 1/F with a theme of glamping, consumers can enjoy the specialty coffee and signature dish under the sunlight, which gives a feeling of relaxing in the suburbs.

Another new experience store – Kwai Chung Wing Fong Road reopened at the end of August. To align with the sporty design of the shop, there are different sports-oriented activities provided to enhance customers’ experiences. For example, live football matches broadcast at the mini theatre area on G/F Sports Ground allow customers to enjoy the matches together with their friends. Racing and training simulation facilities on 1/F ‘Train to Win’ zone brings thrilling experience to visitors, whilst ‘Inspire to Win’ zone provides a more relaxed environment where customers can enjoy the books and magazines provided. Along with the light refreshment cafe, this dynamic space can provide customers with a unique immersive event experience.

Other than the mentioned experiences, betting services are also available and customers can learn more about each experience shop’s information through the new E-concierge online platform. Customers can simply scan the specific QR code displayed inside the shop to explore the various zones, dining options, limited offers, activity highlights and more. E-Concierge is now available for the Central Shop, Kwun Tong Plaza Shop and Kwai Chung Wing Fong Road Shop.

RENOVATED VENUES AT SHA TIN RACECOURSE FOR THE NEW SEASON

For the 2022/23 racing season, two renovated venues for the general public and owners will open at Sha Tin Racecourse.

Fun Zone near the public entrance will reopen in this season. It will be converted to a new zone, “Backstage” for e-Sports motion facilities based around racing. Customers will be able to experience motion facilities such as simulated riding (photo 15), balancing bosu (photo 16) or eyesight response machines – all skills jockeys use when they are competing.

The Owners Box located in Grandstand I, 6/F Section 3 (photo 17, 18) will reopen in December. The renovated venue serves a set menu for an elegant Chinese dining experience. Private rooms (photo 19) are also available.

SIMULCAST BETTING AND WORLD POOL

The World Pool brand continues to grow as both a wagering innovation and a funding mechanism for international racing stakeholders globally. In the new season, as many as 24 of the 37 simulcast meetings will commingle via the World Pool including the Saudi Cup and Flemington Racecourse’s Lightning Stakes fixture. Lightning Stakes Day is a key event forming part of the Asian Racing Conference to be held in Melbourne in February of 2023.

There are ongoing discussions to include other countries and venues to the World Pool. During the off season, races from Germany were simulcast into Hong Kong for the first time as a preliminary step to World Pool participation in the future. As ever, the Club continues to showcase the best international races which reinforces Hong Kong as a leading global racing and wagering jurisdiction.

$88 MILLION SEASON OPENING JACKPOT CONTRIBUTED BY ROLLOVER

Since both the Triple Trio and Six Win Bonus generated jackpots on both season finale fixtures at Sha Tin and Happy Valley racecourses in 2021/22, the jackpot rollover with total estimated dividends of $45 million and $43 million will be offered, respectively, for the first Sha Tin meeting (11 September) and the first Happy Valley meeting (14 September). A total of $88 million (photo 20) will be up for grabs across the season opening fixtures.