Maharashtra Grants RWITC Licence for Mahalaxmi, Pune Racecourses With Tighter Caps
The Maharashtra state home department issued an order on July 21 granting a fresh licence to the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) to conduct horse-racing at the Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai and the Pune Race Course. The licence covers the ongoing season from July 1 through December 31, capping the number of regular race days at 25 while introducing stricter regulatory oversight on betting operations, club governance, and financial compliance.
Under the order, issued under the Maharashtra Race Course Licensing Act, 1912, any additional race days beyond the 25-day cap will require prior government approval and additional licence fee payments. The RWITC has also been permitted to organize up to five charity race days, with net proceeds required to be deposited into the state treasury within 48 hours.
The government has placed strict controls on venue entry fees and betting limits. Public entry fees for the first and second enclosures are generally capped at ₹75. Where higher charges are levied, 50 percent of the amount collected above ₹75 per ticket must be deposited into the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. Stake units must range between ₹5 and ₹10, with betting capped at ₹5,000 in the members' and first enclosures, and ₹1,000 in the second enclosure.
Licensing for bookmakers has been capped at 100, with each licence requiring prior state approval. The state government has retained powers to suspend or cancel bookmaker licences, investigate irregularities, and direct the RWITC to reverse disciplinary actions. Automatic gambling machines remain banned at both racecourses, though online totalisator betting is permitted through authorised mobile applications and websites where legally permissible.
To enforce security and oversight, surveillance teams led by Deputy Commissioners of Police will be deployed in Mumbai and Pune to monitor operations and submit reports after every race. Measures include the installation of high-definition CCTV cameras, deployment of metal detectors at entry points, and maintenance of a photographic blacklist of persons involved in illegal betting.
To promote local racing interests, the order mandates that Indian jockeys must be allotted at least 50 percent of all races, and at least 65 percent of total stake money distributed across races in Mumbai and Pune must be reserved for Indian-bred horses.
The RWITC must submit compliance reports by August 30 regarding conditions imposed during the 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 racing seasons. RWITC Chairman Surendra Sanas stated that the club had applied for the licence after handing over a portion of the Mahalaxmi racecourse land to the state government.
