Pari-mutuel betting involves betting on horse and greyhound racing and is one of the most widespread forms of gambling. Betting can be done two ways, either through pari-mutuel pools or bookmakers taking bets. Pari-mutuel wagers pay off at odds determined by the amount of betters in wagering pools. Bookmakers wager pay offs are determined either at the time of accepting bets or by the odds at the beginning of the race.

The Island of Taipa is one of two cities in Macau. They offer pari-mutuel betting every Sunday at Macau Jockey Club. They boast state-of-the-art computerized betting equipment and includes Win, Place, Quinella (a simple bet offering a large payout from a small bet by picking two horses and finish 1, 2 in any order in a race) Quinella Place and Tierce (or Trifecta where you pick three horses to finish 1, 2, 3 in a race). The Club offers two tracks, a turf track and a sand track which are one mile oval track. The turf track is only for races but the sand track serves for both training and racing. The one mile oval track Macau Jockey Club has a rare Buddha “Shrine of the Four Faces” at the end of its track and it’s only the third of its kind. The other two Buddha’s are in Las Vegas and Bangkok. Some meanings pertaining to it are faith and luck.

Professional Jockeys, Trainers and horses come from all over the world to Macau Jockey Club; Australia New Zealand, France, England, Brazil, South Africa, Czech Republic, Turkey and Hong Kong. Self-regulated, The Club’s races are overseen by a team of professional Stipendiary Stewards and eight video cameras. They also have a racing laboratory that analyzes the work of The Club, and performs tests of horses and jockeys to make sure they adhere to internationally accredited standards.

The Macau Jockey Club is one of the largest private employers of Macau with an estimated 1,200 employees in which about 600 are stable hands. The Club had the inaugural 1993 Macau International Apprentice Jockey Invitation Races in which they invited all Asian Racing Federation member countries to have their top apprentices come and compete. The race has been run 11 times successfully except for the year 2003 when it was cancelled due to the SARS outbreak. The Club was the first Asian Racing Organization to have the press come and view racing enquiries, which increased its accuracy and integrity. In 1999 they exhibited their international status when they hosted the 26th Asian Racing Conference.

Similcasting through The Yat Yuen Canidrome in Macau City, they offer pari-mutuel greyhound racing at on-course and off-course betting centers. The greyhound races are held at the Canidrome and then broadcast live at the Taipa racecourse.

With races all year round, horseracing enthusiasts whether living in Taipa or visiting, are able to participate in pari-mutuel betting at The Club. Their season begins in September and ends at the end of August the following year.