Yes — and unlike online betting, there's a legal route. Selangor Turf Club runs licensed simulcast betting on selected overseas racing through the regulated Tote at its outlets. That's the lawful way to bet on international races. Offshore websites also offer it, but illegally, with all the risks that brings.
It's a natural question for any racing fan in Malaysia: the biggest, most glamorous races happen overseas — the Melbourne Cup, the Hong Kong International Races, the great meetings of Britain and Japan — so can you have a bet on them from here? The good news, and the part the affiliate sites rarely lead with, is that there's a genuinely legal way to bet on a good slice of international racing without touching an offshore site. It runs through the same licensed Tote that covers local racing, via something called simulcast betting. Here's how it works, what's covered, and the honest position on the races it doesn't reach.
The legal route: licensed simulcast
"Simulcast" simply means a race run in one country is broadcast to, and bet on, in another. Crucially in Malaysia, Selangor Turf Club operates licensed off-course betting on selected overseas racing — you bet through the same regulated Tote you'd use for a local race, on imported races shown at the club. Because it runs through the licensed operator, this is a lawful way to bet on international racing — the same legal footing as betting on a Selangor card.
By its own account, STC's off-course betting has covered Wednesday-night racing from Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Africa, and the club publishes an international race card featuring tracks such as Greyville and Kenilworth in South Africa alongside Australian meetings. The exact countries and fixtures on offer change over time, so the club's current international race card is the source of truth for what you can bet on this week.
Australia
Regularly featured, including midweek and weekend meetings.
Hong Kong
One of the great racing jurisdictions, commonly carried.
South Africa
Tracks such as Greyville and Kenilworth appear on the international card.
Singapore
Historically covered; note Singapore racing itself has now ended.
Coverage varies by week and is subject to change. Always check Selangor Turf Club's current international race card for what's actually on offer.
This is the key point most guides bury. You do not need an illegal offshore account to bet on overseas racing from Malaysia. For the races STC carries on its simulcast, there's a fully legal, regulated channel — the licensed Tote at the club's outlets. That's almost always the better answer to "how do I bet on the Melbourne Cup from here?"
What about the UK, Japan and the rest?
Here's the honest limitation. The simulcast covers selected overseas racing — a meaningful set of jurisdictions, but not every race in the world. Major British meetings (Royal Ascot, the Derby, the Grand National) and Japanese racing (the Japan Cup) may not always be on STC's card, and coverage shifts from season to season.
So what are your options for a race that isn't on the legal simulcast? Realistically:
- Check the current international card first. Coverage is broader than many expect, and the race you want may well be there. The club's card is the place to confirm.
- Enjoy it as a spectator. Watching a great overseas race without a bet is a perfectly good option — and the only one with zero legal or financial risk for races off the simulcast.
- Understand that the offshore route is illegal. Yes, offshore sites carry these races. No, it isn't legal from Malaysia, and the risks are real (below).
The offshore route, honestly
It would be incomplete not to address it: countless offshore websites carry UK, Japanese and every other kind of racing, and accept Malaysian punters. But the same truth applies here as everywhere on this site — betting on racing through an offshore site is illegal and unregulated in Malaysia, regardless of any foreign licence the operator holds, and it carries no consumer protection.
Selected overseas races, bet through the regulated Tote at STC. Lawful, protected, same footing as a local bet.
Any overseas race, but unlicensed and unregulated. No recourse, scam & payment risks, and new 2026 penalties.
The full case is laid out in our guides to online vs on-course betting and the risks of offshore sites — including the no-recourse problem, the scam exposure, and the player-level fines introduced under the 2026 reforms. For overseas racing specifically, the takeaway is simple: the legal simulcast should be your first port of call, and for anything it doesn't carry, the risk-free choice is to watch rather than bet illegally.
The honest answer to "can I bet on overseas races?" isn't just "yes, on offshore sites." It's "yes, legally, on the races the licensed simulcast carries — start there."
How to bet the simulcast
If the overseas race you want is on STC's international card, betting it is straightforward and works just like local racing:
- Check the international race card for the day's overseas coverage and times (note the time-zone differences — Australian and South African races run at different hours).
- The bet types are the same — the Win, Place and exotic bets you'd use locally apply to the simulcast pools too.
- Place it through the licensed Tote at the club, exactly as you would for a Selangor race.
- Read the form the same way — our race card guide works for international cards too, though form lines and local knowledge will be less familiar.
Overseas or local, the same rule applies
International racing is exciting, and the unfamiliarity can tempt bigger punts — resist it. Bet within a budget set in advance; see bankroll management. If betting stops being fun, our responsible gambling guide and help resources are here.
For the wider legal picture, see the legal ways to bet and whether horse betting is legal in Malaysia. To get comfortable with the mechanics first, start with how the Tote works.