Inside Asian Gaming

IAG NOV 2020年11月 亞博匯 75 2020 亞博匯50強 WINFRIED ENGELBRECHT-BRESGES CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Hong Kong Jockey Club 應家柏 行政總裁 香港賽馬會 14 POWER SCORE 權能指數 : 1,295 POSITION LAST YEAR 去年排名 : 15 CLAIMS TO FAME 名成事跡 Driving force behind the modernization and revitalization of the HKJC Has helped HKJC become Hong Kong’s biggest employer Ensured HKJC complete a full racing season in the face of COVID-19 • • • • • • 香港賽馬會現代化和復蘇的主要推手之一 助力賽馬會成為香港最大的僱主 帶領香港賽馬會在新冠疫情之下完成整個賽季 WINFRIED ENGELBRECHT-BRESGES has good reason to be more than satisfied. While many operators within the global gaming industry are struggling to survive, The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), under his tutelage for more than a decade now, has barely missed a beat. In September, The HKJC recorded the highest opening day turnover in its history with total betting reaching HK$1.38 billion – 6.8% higher than the previous record set in the 2017/2018 season. Locals betting reached HK$1.13 billion – up 4.6% on the previous best – while commingling grew by 18% to HK$247 million. The data is even more impressive given The HKJC recorded its lowest ever attendance on the very same day, having been forced to restrict entry to essential staff and associates in order to comply with Hong Kong’s COVID-19 safety measures. It also came just days after The HKJC reported a respectable 11.6% decline in turnover to HK$218.8 billion (US$28.2 billion) for the year ended 30 June 2020, with racing turnover down just 3.2% for the year to HK$121 billion (US$15.6 billion). Arriving in 1998 as racing director before taking on the top job nine years later, former German youth football team player Engelbrecht-Bresges has transformed The HKJC from a second- rate, highly introverted organization to one that is the envy of the racing world. Under his watch, The HKJC has invested millions into transforming almost every aspect of the business – from redevelopment of Sha Tin Racecourse under the Racecourse Master Plan to the quality of horses running and extensive customer segmentation work to provide a complete race day experience. The vastly improved product that is Hong Kong racing has subsequently enjoyed an explosion in popularity which has transferred directly to the betting ring. 應家柏 有充分的理由感到滿意。就在全球博彩行業的許多營運商都在艱難生 存之際，香港賽馬會在他逾十年的帶領之下，幾乎沒有錯失過任何良機。 今年九月，香港賽馬會在馬季開鑼首日的投注額創下歷史新高，總投注 額為13.8億港元，較此前2017/2018馬季開鑼日的歷史最高紀錄高出6.8％。 其中本地投注額度為11.3億港元，較往年最高記錄還增長4.6％，而匯合彩池 的投注額達到2.47億港元，較上一季度增加18％。 考慮到因應疫情防控而限制必要人員及員工入場，賽馬會同一日亦創下 有史以來出席比賽人數最少的一次，上述數據愈發令人印象深刻。 就在開鑼的數日之前，香港賽馬會公佈截至2020年6月30日的年度投注 總額下降11.6％，至2188億港元（282億美元），其中賽馬投注額僅下跌3.2%， 至約1210億港元（156億美元）。 應家柏曾為德國青年足球球員，1998年加入馬會任職賽馬事務司，並於 九年後晉升為行政總裁，令馬會從一家二流、只專注本地發展的組織，成為現 今令行業豔羨的賽馬會。 在應家柏的監督下，香港賽馬會投資了數百萬美元來優化業務，涵蓋近 乎每個領域，包括在《馬場發展大綱》下推動沙田馬場優化工程，提高參賽馬匹 的素質，落實廣泛的客戶細化工作以提供更完善的賽馬日體驗等等。 此外，馬會亦大幅優化旗下業務產品，深受投注者愛戴，其人氣從投注方 面便可反映出來。