Race Coast plans to build a river of money
Hot on the heels of boosting cash incentives for owners, trainers and jockeys, Race Coast has revealed how it intends to raise some of the funding for its generosity.
The livewire operator in Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal is launching a new online gaming site called Lucky Fish, which will return a dedicated share of its profits to South African horse racing.
Bookmaking giant Hollywoodbets is the financial muscle behind Race Coast and some observers might see this move as undercutting its own product, but business experts will see it as market expansion and setting up a sustainable revenue conduit for the game.
A Race Coast media release said profits would be cycled back into South Africa's horse racing ecosystem — 'fueling racetrack development, protecting jobs and securing the sport's long-term vitality'.
'Lucky Fish is our boldest fusion yet: it's not just a betting brand — it's a movement,' said Vishen Naidoo, Lucky Fish's commercial manager. 'We're innovating for today's digital generation while reinvesting in the sport that built Race Coast.'
Game changer?
A live Tote betting option will be available on the site – along with the sports book, casino games and slots action.
Claiming Lucky Fish is a 'game changer', the media blurb says it has 'AI-backed personalisation, secure cloud architecture and real-time data analytics', along with instant payouts, robust player protection and ethical marketing.
Earlier, Race Coast announced that an amount of nearly R38.5-million had been budgeted to be paid to stakeholders in the Cape and KZN between September 2025 and end-July 2026 – after R25-million was paid to owners, trainers and jockeys over the last term.
Race Coast executive Justin Vermaak told Sporting Post the incentive scheme devised by Cape Racing had been streamlined over the past three years and had 'unquestionably worked' in achieving some of the goals set, while remaining a 'work-in-progress'. The number of meetings and sizes of fields had grown.
'This is solid growth, despite the national trend of reduced meetings,' said Vermaak.
'This provides further opportunities for our local racing communities, and increased employment prospects for grooms and work riders, as well as raising the bar for all related and ancillary horse racing services. We have exciting times ahead with KZN now under the umbrella.'
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