Case Study: Chester Race Company achieves faster, seamless guest entry with HID Global NFC ticketing

Oldest Racecourse in the World Adopts Latest NFC Ticketing Technology and Digital Wallets

Chester Race Company, operator of Chester Racecourse, needed to modernize admissions at the world’s oldest racecourse. Guests previously relied on emailed QR-code e-tickets, but poor mobile signal, slow legacy scanners, and manual syncing between SeatGeek and HID Global’s access control system caused congestion, delays, and entry risk at busy times.

HID Global implemented its Event Management Platform with NFC ticketing in Apple and Google Wallets, supported by around 45 Janam XT3 rugged handhelds and a bespoke SeatGeek integration. The result was a faster, offline-capable entry process that reduced gate staffing from six people to three, eliminated admission issues in post-event reviews, improved security and fraud resistance, and delivered a smoother guest experience with real-time visibility into who had entered.

Chester Race Company

Gareth Simpson

Head of Racecourse Operations