Gambling on Camel Racing: A Middle Eastern Tradition

It may be rarer, more unusual, and nowhere near the multi-billion dollar industry that horse racing is, but make no mistake, camel racing is just as dramatic. The sport is similar to horse racing, in that you have jockeys, circular racetracks, and explosive speed. Anyone who has seen camels race can tell you, they have blistering pace, and much more than you may otherwise think. A horse can sprint at a speed of around 43 up to 55 miles per hour, and maintain speeds of around 25 to 35 mph over endurance tracks. Camels can do up to 40mph in sprints and maintain 25mph over the course of an hour.

This is no modern invention either, camel racing has been around for centuries, spanning from the Middle East to Australia. It is also a professional sport, with cups, official racetracks, and even purses that can range in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. And where there are organised events and purses, the betting action is not far behind.

Origins of Camel Racing

The sport of camel racing is deeply rooted in Bedouin culture, and it has been practised for centuries. These herders kept livestock like camel, sheep and goats, but the camels stood out for their many uses. They were key for transport, and suited the arid climate conditions which the Bedouin people lived in. Camel racing was very much a tribal tradition, used to celebrate weddings or religious festivals. But camels were not only found in the Arabian Peninsula, Levant and North Africa. That is, the territories that the Bedouins historically inhabited.

There were, and still are, species of camels all across Central Asia, even spreading as far as China. Australia also has a population of camels, and the only feral, or wild camels, live in Australia, Kazakhstan, and China. Camel racing also popped up in Mongolia and later Australia. Animal racing, and betting on animal races, can be found in one form or another practically all over the world. But these early camel races had little to no rules.

For instance, there were no weight categories or age limits for races. The Bedouin camel races were intended to be celebratory events. Such as celebrating rainfall after long dry spells, or to commemorate feasts. But due to lack of regulation, there was also foul play between riders. It could have been a much rougher event than strictly racing, but not as much as perhaps Buzkashi or other equine sports. And then, there was the matter of children jockeys.

From Child Jockeys…

Because if you wanted more speed, than half the game was finding the right jockey. Even in horse racing nowadays, jockeys are generally quite short and lightweight. Less weight means, of course, more speed. In camel racing, it was very common to have children jockeys racing the camels. It was a similar kind of tradition as the Nadaam festival in Mongolia, which features horse races with traditional children jockeys.

This practice continued in the Arab peninsula until modern times, when underage labor laws were introduced in the UAE and Qatar. In 2005, it was estimated that anywhere between 5,000 and 40,000 child camel jockeys raced in the Persian Gulf region. Children who would often fast for days prior to the race to lose weight. And, many of whom suffered serious injuries from falling off their camels, and were isolated and lived in camps called ousbah. This all changed by 2005, when the UAE banned child jockeys, and replaced them.

…to Robot Jockeys

The GCC countries took children off the camels, and replaced them with robot jockeys. The robot jockey technology was developed in the beginning of 2001, and by 2003, the first robotic jockeys were beginning to take shape. By 2005, when the ban kicked in, the robot jockeys were ushered in, and the first race was conducted later that year. The robots were designed to have some human features, including robot arms, sunglasses, hats and racing silks. They could be attached to the saddles, handle the reins and apply the whips to get the camels running.

The robot jockeys today are around 2 to 3 kilograms in weight, are remoted controlled, and have sensors to detect the camel’s speed and heart rate. You can even see them in action today – there are robot jockey camel races all across the GCC countries.

Modern Regulations and Camel Racing Events

Traditional camel races had little to no preplanning, and so the events themselves were often thrown together in the last minute. Nowadays, the sport is far more organised. It has race classes, regulated distances, divisions by camel breed, and standardized competitions.

There are also racetracks that are specially built for camel racing, including the Al-Wathba in Abu Dhabi and the Nad Al-Shib near Dubai. Sure, it is nowhere near as popular or watched as horse racing, and these tracks have a maximum seating capacity of around a thousand people. But there are camel races in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, the Arab Peninsula and even in Australia.

The latter has a major camel race in Alice Springs, near Darwin, called the Camel Cup. First held in 1970, this is an annual race that is organised by the Lions Club of Alice Springs. Australia’s biggest camel race today is the Boulia Camel Races, a 3-day event that is held every year, in which there are heats, tournaments, and the “Melbourne Cup of the Outback”.

Tradition of Betting on Camel Races

The Bedouins may have placed friendly wagers on camel races, but these wouldn’t have been wagers as we know them today. In nomadic betting traditions, these would have often involved betting favors, handshook deals on tradeable goods or land, or bets on the camels themselves. It wasn’t the norm to bet on camel races solely for monetary gain. It was more a part of the social bonding traditions, where gambling could also serve as a proving ground for younger bettors and a teaching one for elders.

Later, of course, as the Peninsula and surrounding regions adopted Islam, gambling pretty much disappeared. Islam forbids Maisir (gambling), and Muslims take this ban seriously. Games of chance are defined by the following:

• games in which players could win items of value without working for them
• wealth acquired by chance, or games of chance

These practises are a grave sin in Islam. And so the practise of betting or gambling on camel races became a taboo and was phased out of Islamic societies.

Betting on Camel Races Today

In the Arab world, gambling remains illegal and not just in Sharia (Islamic law). You won’t find betting sites catering to Muslims in Qatar, UAE, or other Arab countries. But there are gambling sites where non Muslims can stake wagers on camels. They are just a lot harder to find.

Camel betting is nowhere near as widespread as horse race betting, it is very much a niche sport to bet on. But there are sites that offer bets on camel races, and they are practically identical to horse race bets. You can place race winner bets, each way, place bets, and even boxed or tricast wagers. Advanced bettors can look into more options, such as round robin wagers, and combine their race winner bets into parlays and other combination wagers.

Camel Races, Virtuals and Betting Risks

You can even find camel betting sites that offer virtual camel races. When there aren’t any real camel races on at the moment, and no upcoming events, don’t fret. You can head to the Virtuals lobby and find camel races running 24/7. Just like horse race betting, camel races can be highly unpredictable and it is a high risk gambling endeavour. There are no sure bets in camel races. Strong favorites can still lose, and not even place bets are guaranteed to win. There is also less statistical data on camel races, which makes it more difficult to analyze the field and look to make well informed decisions.

For the human jockey races in Australia, you may find some statistics to go on. But for the Arab world races, the robot jockey information won’t take you far. So be sure to bet cautiously, and treat it just as you would treat horse race betting. Bet safely, and never make any assumptions about what will happen. Create a bankroll for yourself, plan your wagers ahead, and never spend money recklessly on camel races. Bet responsibly, and enjoy the camel races for the sheer spectacle that they are.