Oldest Horse Racecourse in the World Adopts Digital Ticketing

Chester Racecourse, acknowledged by Guinness World Records as the oldest operational racecourse in the world, has implemented a digital ticketing system using HID’s Event Management Platform (EMP).

Established in 1539, the historic venue, in the northwest of England, hosts over 200,000 patrons across 15 annual race days. The HID deployment, using NFC and mobile wallet functionality, integrates with handheld scanners to control guest admissions even in areas of the course where internet connectivity cannot be guaranteed.

The deployment uses 45 Janam XT3 units for offline ticket validation – a necessity given Chester's network challenges. Each device holds preloaded, encrypted ticket data, ensuring fast verification even during peak flow and under variable lighting conditions. The system provides digital tickets compatible with Apple and Google Wallets, with ticket delivery and event information dispatched within seconds of purchase. Integration with ticketing platform, SeatGeek, ensures real-time synchronisation between ticket issuance and access control.