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The Biggest Horse Racing Markets

Date: 08/26/2021

As the biggest horse racing events around the world get underway once more, a growing audience is becoming more interested in the many horse racing options – some countries around the world have always had a bigger representation, however, and some may come from unlikely places too. So whether you're just a casual viewer, a punter looking for options at CNOG, or a seasoned veteran just looking to find out more information about horse racing as a whole, where can you find the biggest horse racing markets?

Australia – Whilst it may be a familiar racing scene to some, others may be surprised at just how much horse racing has grown across Australia in recent years as the market tops £4 billion per year in wagering, as well as being the home to the richest turf race in horse racing as The Everest saw a purse top £11 million in 2020. Australia has also seen some big racing names with the most notable being WINX as one of the most successful racing horses of all time. As a region that hosts many of the big international races each year, Australia is certainly one that's on the way up.

USA – This one won't come as much a surprise, and some of the biggest races in the horse racing season are hosted in the US as whilst big names like the Kentucky Derby steal some of the spotlight, others like the Breeders' Cup and opportunities for the Triple Crown attract many of the top horses from around the world. Over the years the biggest races have certainly capture growing attention and will be a market that could certainly become the biggest in the world given time, and as US based fans become more attracted to racing options too, there's certainly a bright future ahead for US based racing.

Japan – Another surprising one given that gambling in Japan remains illegal, but horse racing is one of the few outliers where betting on the races is perfectly acceptable. With a market value that tops £16 billion every year and over 21,000 official horse races during that same time, it is much bigger than every other market in the world and something that will be difficult to keep up with as other markets try and cover some ground. Whilst the region isn't really known for producing and training the best horses, it doesn't take away from how popular racing in Japan is and will continue to be.

It goes without saying that options closer to home certainly top out the list as racing in the UK and Ireland draws the biggest crowds and pulls in the most money too, but the gap is certainly closing as other big regions continue to look promising.

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