The Chinese Communist Party's gambling taboo may be slipping, but analyst Kelvin Tan of Las Vegas Sands believes Beijing will continue to draw the line at table games.
The large sums wagered on single hands of baccarat in Macau and border casinos give Beijing the willies and leave no room to pretend the betting is merely for entertainment or charity.
With slot-machine lookalikes coming in, horse racing is likely to be next. Investors, many from Hong Kong, have poured big money into setting up race tracks in Beijing, Guangzhou, Wuhan and other cities on the belief betting on horses will be allowed.
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That day may have arrived.
Some overseas horse racing Web sites reported recently that the Beijing Tongshun Jockey Club, owned by Hong Kong's YP Cheng, has received a 12-month license to offer betting.
The club referred queries to racing director Kevin Connolly, who did not respond, but the club's Web site provides betting results from recent races and says the club is donationg 500,000 yuan each month to the Beijing Red Cross Society.
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