Over the past 11 years, Larry Wong has been to hundreds of race meetings at Happy Valley and Sha Tin. He's going again on February 4. And for the first time, he plans to place a bet.
Lawrence Wong Chi-kong, retiring chief executive of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, chuckles. 'Senior staff have urged me to open a telebet account so I can support the club and keep up gaming revenues,' he said.
Under strict rules, none of the 24,000 permanent staff of the club is allowed to have a flutter on the horses or even on the outcome of a football game. When football betting was approved in 2003, there was much discussion within the club hierarchy about whether staff would be allowed to participate.
Mr Wong had the deciding vote. No, he ruled. 'Imagine if I bet on a football pool roll-up and won HK$5 million,' he said. 'There would be demands for a public inquiry. And quite rightly.'
As executive head of Hong Kong's wealthiest, proudest and most respected sporting organisation, the 67- year-old is well aware that the Hong Kong Jockey Club and its staff must be beyond reproach. There must never be the slightest hint of impropriety.
Betting must not only be scrupulously fair, but must also be seen as honest by the tens of thousands of punters who place their bets each week at either of the tracks, at one of the 109 off-course betting centres or through their 1.5 million telebet accounts.
Last year, that vast torrent of cash meant club turnover swelled to HK$99 billion. Of that, HK$31 billion came from football.