Skyscraper betting and soaring turnover: Japan's mind-boggling racing experience and the unlikely hero who sparked the boom
James Stevens goes inside Tokyo's crazy betting scene and discovers how it launched Japan to a global force
A queue is forming at Shinjuku station. Perhaps that is not so surprising given this is the world’s busiest train station serving 3.4 million passengers, among them today thousands of racing fans on the morning of the Japan Cup.
Except this queue is not made up of people waiting for the next train eager to get to the track. They are gathering just yards away from the gigantic station complex where hundreds of people are heading to a building on which the Japan Racing Association logo appears amid Tokyo’s stunning cityscape. And they are queuing to have a bet.
Welcome to WINS. This is high-street punting on the other side of the world, literally and metaphorically, in a gigantic six-floor building that is a far cry from your local Betfred, William Hill or Coral. It is one of 38 JRA-managed off-course betting hubs which are strategically located and designed to maximise revenue. This spot is about speed, giving customers the opportunity to breeze in and out between travelling. If you go to other venues, comfort or capacity is the priority.
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