HKJC posts record HK$39.3b community contribution

The Hong Kong Jockey Club said on September 2 that it contributed a record HK$39.3 billion to the community in the year ended June 30, as higher wagering turnover and tax payments lifted its annual return to the Hong Kong government and charitable causes. The figure included HK$29.3 billion in betting duty and profits tax, HK$1.4 billion for the Lotteries Fund and HK$8.6 billion in approved charity donations, according to the club’s annual results statement. The announcement came after the club’s annual general meeting on Wednesday. Chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said the club had delivered “outstanding results both on and off the track” despite what it described as pressure from illegal gambling and higher operating costs. ### How big is the HK$39.3 billion figure? HK$39.3 billion is the club’s highest reported annual community contribution on record, edging above the HK$39.1 billion it reported for fiscal 2024/25. The club’s annual reports page says the previous year’s contribution was HK$39.1 billion, while a 2025 results release broke that down into government payments and approved charity donations. (corporate.hkjc.com) The September 2 statement said the latest total was made up of three parts: HK$29.3 billion in betting duty and profits tax, HK$1.4 billion contributed to the Lotteries Fund, and HK$8.6 billion in donations approved by the club’s Charities Trust. The club said those payments and approvals were made in fiscal 2025/26. (corporate.hkjc.com) ### What drove the increase this year? Record betting turnover of HK$331.7 billion helped support the club’s 2025/26 result, according to the club’s statement and other reports on the announcement. The Hong Kong Jockey Club said the year’s performance came despite “major challenges,” including competition from illegal gambling and rising operating costs. (corporate.hkjc.com) The club said its tax contribution represented 6.4% of total taxes collected by Hong Kong’s Inland Revenue Department in the 2025/26 assessment year. That figure was included in the September 2 release alongside the breakdown of taxes, Lotteries Fund payments and charity approvals. (thehk.news) ### Where does the money go? HK$29.3 billion went to the Hong Kong government through betting duty and profits tax, while HK$1.4 billion was contributed to the Lotteries Fund, the club said. The remaining HK$8.6 billion was approved by the club’s Charities Trust for donations. The Hong Kong Jockey Club describes its model as combining racing, wagering, membership and charity, with surpluses channeled into tax payments and community projects. (corporate.hkjc.com) Its annual reports page says the club uses an “integrated business model” to generate economic and social value, and the latest results statement presented the 2025/26 contribution as part of that framework. ### Why did the club stress “major challenges”? Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said on September 2 that the club had produced “outstanding results both on and off the track,” according to the club and The Standard’s report from the annual general meeting. The club’s own statement said the result was achieved despite “major challenges.” (corporate.hkjc.com) Illegal gambling was one of the pressures cited around the results. The Hong Kong News report on the announcement said record betting turnover was achieved despite growing pressure from illegal gambling and rising costs, echoing the club’s language on the year’s operating environment. (corporate.hkjc.com) ### How does this compare with last year’s result? In fiscal 2024/25, the club reported a total community contribution of HK$39.1 billion, according to its annual reports page and its August 2025 results release. That earlier total included HK$30.1 billion to the Hong Kong government in duty, profits tax and Lotteries Fund contributions, and HK$9.0 billion in approved charity donations. (thehk.news) The 2025/26 result therefore rose by HK$0.2 billion from the previous year, based on the club’s published totals for the two periods. The club’s September 2 materials say fuller details are included in its 2025/26 results and annual reporting documents released after the annual general meeting. (corporate.hkjc.com) (corporate.hkjc.com)