The government of Mongolia is interested in sponsoring a racetrack as a prelude to legalizing race betting.
Bloomberg reports that officials may approach the Hong Kong Jockey Club with a proposal for moving its horses and jockeys north during the club’s two-month off-season.
“Our priority is to make the legal environment for a jockey club operation so that we can have a market share,” said Culture Minister Oyungerel Tsedevdamba.
“(Mongolia) is developing,” said Jan Wigsten, founder of Nomadic Journeys, a tour company based in the capital of Ulan Bator. “It is normalizing in the global sense, and the institutions are becoming stronger, which is necessary with gambling.”
The track is to be sited near a new airport under development near the capital.
Mongolia has had no gambling since a small casino there closed in 1999.
