Inside Asian Gaming

IAG NOV 2020年11月亞博匯 96 2020 POWER 50 JAMES PACKER FORMER CHAIRMAN AND MAJOR SHAREHOLDER Crown Resorts 前主席及最大股東 皇冠度假酒店集團 34 POWER SCORE 權能指數 : 761 POSITION LAST YEAR 去年排名 : Nil 無 CLAIMS TO FAME 名成事跡 Son of legendary Australian business mogul Kerry Packer Former partner of Lawrence Ho in Macau casino operator Melco-Crown Entertainment • • • • 澳洲傳奇商業大亨Kerry Packer之子 何猷龍前合作夥伴，二人在澳門博企新濠博亞娛樂上合作 JAMES PACKER stepped down as Executive Chairman of Australian casino giant Crown Resorts in August 2015 and left the board entirely – for the second time in as many years – in March 2018 citing mental health issues. But if there was one thing we learned from a recent NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority Inquiry into Crown’s suitability to hold a state casino license it’s that Packer has very much been the man calling the shots at Crown even after his official departure. It was revealed during the inquiry that Crown has previously signed two highly unusual agreements with Packer’s private investment vehicle Consolidated Press Holdings – which holds his current 36.81% stake in the company – including a Controlling Shareholder Protocol that had seen Packer privy to financial updates and forecasts that other shareholders were not. There was also a 2016 Services Agreement that allowed Crown to request the services of key CPH executives at pre-agreed hourly rates. Two of those CPH executives also served as Crown directors. Most notable is that Packer had considerable input into the company’s International VIP strategy, a sector he enjoyed deep exposure to during his days as business partner to Lawrence Ho in the Melco-Crown tie-up, which opened Macau’s Altira, City of Dreams and Studio City. Packer last year tried to sell a 19.99% stake in Crown to Ho before Australian regulators scared that idea into submission. It is this level of power that sees Packer rejoin our list in 2020 in place of Crown CEO Ken Barton, although with both coming under heavy fire during the recent NSW inquiry it’s likely neither will hold much sway in 12 months’ time. James Packer 於2015年8月辭任澳洲博彩巨頭皇冠度假酒店集團執行主席 一職，並於2018年3月因精神健康理由，退出企業董事會，這是他多年來第二 次退出董事會。 但最近新南威爾士州獨立酒業和博彩監管局審查皇冠是否具備資格為 賭牌持有人一事上，我們能獲得的資訊是，即管Packer正式離職，但他一直為 皇冠的事宜作決定。 據聽證會期間公開的資料，皇冠此前與Packer的私人投資企業Consol- idated Press Holdings（該企持有皇冠的36.81%股權）簽署了兩項極為不尋 常的協議，包括控股股東協議，讓Packer可獲得其他股東不知悉、有關皇冠最 新財務的資訊及預測。 還有2016年所簽訂的服務協議，讓皇冠根據預先議定的小時計價，請求 Consolidated Press Holdings 的高管提供服務。CPH有兩位高管亦是皇冠董 事。 最值得注意的是，Packer在皇冠的國際貴賓服務戰略方面有著顯著的影 響。作為何猷龍在新濠博亞娛樂的昔日合作夥伴，Packer期間深入接觸了國 際貴賓服務領域，新濠在澳門的項目包括新濠鋒酒店、新濠天地及新濠影滙。 在澳洲監管機構介入前，Packer曾計劃向何猷龍出售皇冠的19.99％股權，但 計劃最終告吹。 正因為這影響力，Packer取代了皇冠行政總裁Ken Barton，重新上榜今 年50強名單。但兩人都在新南威爾士州的聽證會上遭受猛烈抨擊，可以預計 兩人未來一年的影響力或有所減少。