CLAIMS TO FAME
- Driving force behind the modernization and revitalization of HKJC
- Has helped The HKJC become Hong Kong’s biggest employer
In a world where fortunes come and go in the blink of an eye, The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has remained a steady reminder that some things never change.
Even in the heart of the pandemic, HKJC didn’t miss a beat – or a single race meet for that matter – generating total turnover, including football betting and the Mark 6 lottery, of HK$290 billion (US$36.9 billion) in 2021-22 and HK$305.6 billion (US$39.3 billion) in 2022-23.
And while turnover suffered a slight decline to HK$304.9 billion (US$39.2 billion) in 2023-24, it rebounded back during the most recent 12-month period to reach total turnover of HK$320.3 billion (US$41.2 billion), up 5.1% year-on-year.
Further buoying sentiment is the Hong Kong government’s recent decision to pass the Betting Duty (Amendment) Bill 2025, which will legalize basketball betting and have HKJC serve as the sole licensed operator for betting on the hugely popular sport – expected to kick in before the start of the 2026-27 NBA season. Until now, HKJC has only been permitted to offer betting on horse racing and football, as well as the Mark 6 Lottery.
All of this has taken place under the careful watch of Engelbrecht-Bresges, now in his 27th year with the organization. The former German youth football team player arrived in 1998 as racing director before taking on the top job nine years later and in that time transformed HKJC into an organization that is the envy of the racing world.
It also remains a vital cog in Hong Kong’s economic engine given its substantial contributions to society.
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