So the world moves on. Or does it? Well, apparently not where the Hong Kong Jockey Club and commingling intersect.
As we understand it, that bureaucratic speed bump known as the Home Affairs Bureau is looking more like the Great Wall of China where commingling is concerned, with the very real danger now emerging that Hong Kong will be left on the wrong side of it as the rest of the world links up to do business.
Commingling of bets, for those who have been out of town, is the process by which those racing fans already watching Hong Kong racing in Australia can place bets on it that will be mingled with the betting pools here.
Under the current, old-fashioned system, they are already betting on Hong Kong racing, but into local, very much smaller pools that offer no real stability in terms of knowing what the final dividend will be.
The winner that pays 10-1 in Hong Kong might pay 2-1 in Australia, or it might pay 20-1, because the dividend pools are not connected. But the worst aspect of that is that, because their local pool is so very small, it might only take a few bucks on the one that is showing 20-1 to make it 2-1, so it doesn't really encourage participation even from those who want to participate. For this, the Jockey Club gets a small fee.
Under commingling, when the bets go into the Hong Kong pool, which is more attractive due to its size, the club would get a takeout as it does from locally-placed bets.