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Recreation, Sport, Culture and the Arts

The club's contributions to Hong Kong extend far beyond sporting entertainment. It is Hong Kong's largest single taxpayer, contributing $17.64 billion to the public purse in 2012-13, or 7.3 per cent of all taxes collected by the Inland Revenue Department during the year. It is also one of the city's largest employers, with over 24,000 full- and part-time staff.

In addition, the club is Hong Kong's largest non-government community benefactor, operating under a not-for-profit business model with its surpluses used to fund charitable and community projects. In 2012-13, it donated a record $1.95 billion to 160 local projects through the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. These projects will ultimately touch the lives of some three- quarters of the local population.

To safeguard these contributions in the face of growing local and regional competition from gaming and entertainment operators, as well as from illegal and unauthorised offshore bookmakers, the club has adopted numerous initiatives to maintain the long-term sustainability of Hong Kong horse racing. Since 2008 it has invested well over $3 billion in a comprehensive Racecourse Master Plan, aimed at making racecourse visits a world-class experience. It is also attracting new generations to the sport through a carefully-planned customer segmentation strategy.

In July 2013, the Legislative Council endorsed amendments to the Betting Duty Ordinance which enable the club to establish commingled betting pools with other racing jurisdictions worldwide. Hong Kong has the potential to become a leader in this rapidly-growing field, given. its world-class racing operations, high reputation for integrity and attractiveness of its large betting pools. Many local race meetings are already broadcast live to overseas countries and regions such as Macao, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Commingled pools are gradually being introduced during 2014.

The international races held at Sha Tin Racecourse each December have become widely recognised as the 'Turf World Championships, with four International Group One events being staged on a single day for a total purse of $72 million. The 2013 International Races attracted 28 top thoroughbreds from seven countries. Despite competing with the world's best, Hong Kong-trained horses captured three of the four prestigious titles.

The four Hong Kong International Races, and the Champions Mile run in early May, have been listed among the World's Top 50 Group/Grade One races by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

Outward Bound Hong Kong

Outward Bound Hong Kong (OBHK) is a member of Outward Bound International, which was founded in the UK in 1941 and is the world leader and originator of experiential education, operating 50 schools in over 30 countries worldwide. OBHK was established in Hong Kong in 1970 to provide local people with personal development programmes to help them learn essential life skills and reach their maximum potential. OBHK is the first and only experiential education organisation in Asia to be accredited by the internationally renowned Association of Experiential Education.

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