Who we are
The Company has celebrated, in December 2021, the 30th anniversary of
the introduction of the Tote system in Mauritius (1991). This factually
transparent and auditable betting system has gained international
recognition and is operated in all major racing jurisdictions such as
the United States, France, Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore and South
Africa, to name a few.
The two salient features of the Tote system are that:
- All bets are pooled with the final payout calculated by the software
at the closure of bets, leaving no space for questionable
declarations whether to the MTC Sports Leisure Ltd or to the
Government.
- All punters having a similar winning combination receive the same
dividend irrespective of the time at which the bet is placed.
Automatic Systems Ltd only perceives a fixed commission, independent
of the horse coming first, and the remaining funds are divided and
paid out to the winners.
The introduction of the Win and Place and Exotic bets has given punters
the possibility of choosing among different types of bets, starting with
the Swinger which is the easiest and up to the Pick 8 which is the most
difficult but obviously offering much more interesting dividends.
The Company, which was the pioneer in telephone betting, launched the
Teletote in 1994. In 2021, there were more than 39,000 account holders
who could bet by telephone or by SMS.
In 2004, Off Course betting was authorized by the regulatory authorities
- not as a measure to encourage betting but to move away from the
existing illegal betting platforms - and to date, the Company is
operating 24 outlets, spread across the Island.
ASL was also the first company to offer SMS betting on the Tote in 2008
and a new Application was launched in 2017 to facilitate betting by SMS.
The Board of Directors and Management of the Company are conscious of
the challenging environment in which the horse racing industry is
operating and constantly strive to innovate and implement new measures
to sustain operations and increase revenue.
As an illustration of this innovation and sustainability mindset and as
a measure of diversification, the Company started offering Fixed Odds
betting on international football matches in 2008 and incorporated
Megawin Ltd in 2014 for prospecting the betting market in Africa.
History
Key dates of the company:
1991
- ASL obtains its licence to operate the Tote in May 1991. ASL is the
pioneer of Tote betting in Mauritius.
- Operated at the Champ de Mars only and offered five types of bets:
Win, Place, Trifecta, Dupla and Pick 6. Turnover reached Rs 123.9
millions.
1994
- Listed on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius
- First company to offer telephone betting through its brand Teletote
2004
- Started Off Course Betting with 5 outlets
2008
- Fixed odds betting on football branded Superscore
- First company to offer SMS bets on horse racing
2011
- Commingling of pools with Global Sports Ltd (Tote Lepep)
2014
- New operation in Africa - Megawin
2017
- Launch of Mobile App to bet by SMS
2018
- New betting software for football launched in July
1991 - 2020
- The company has contributed more than Rs1 billion to the Racing
Industry
The Company currently employs 29 full time staff and about 210 casuals.
How we lead
Organisation Structure
Board Committees and Management
Board of Directors
Chairperson and Non-Executive Director
- M.A. Eric ESPITALIER NOEL
Executive Director
Non-Executive Directors
- Ravindra CHETTY
- J. O. Guillaume HARDY
- Sarah A. M. HELLER
- O. Farouk A. A. HOSSEN
- Michel J.L. NAIRAC
- M. A. Eric ESPITALIER NOEL
- John A. STUART
- Arvind Lall DOOKUN
Independent Director
Alternate Director
- To O. Farouk A. A. HOSSEN: M.L Jean HARDY
Audit and Risk Committee
- Mushtaq M. O. N. OOSMAN - Chairperson
- O. Farouk A. A. HOSSEN
- Arvind Lall DOOKUN
Corporate Governance (Nomination and Remuneration) Committee
- Ravindra CHETTY - Chairperson
- M. A. Eric ESPITALIER NOEL
- M. L. Jean HARDY
Senior Management
- Robert C.Y.F. AH YAN - General Manager
Administration
Registered Office
- c/o Box Office Ltd
2nd Floor, Palm Square, 90906 La Mivoie, Tamarin
Company Secretary
- Box Office Ltd
2nd Floor, Palm Square, 90906 La Mivoie, Tamarin
Tel: 4834309
Registry and Transfer Office
- ECS Secretaries Ltd (up to 4th January 2022)
3rd Floor Labama House
Sir William Newton Street Port Louis
Tel: 2121998 - MCB Registry & Securities Ltd (as from 5th January 2022)
Sir William Newton Street, Port Louis, Mauritius
Tel: 2025000
External Auditors
- Deloitte
7th-8th Floor, Standard Chartered Tower 19-21 Bank Street
Cybercity, Ebène
Internal Auditors
- Ernst & Young
NeXTeracom Tower 1, 9th Floor NeXTeracom Tower 1
Cybercity, Ebène
Legal Advisors
- Me Hervé DUVAL S.C
River Court, 6 St Denis Street, Port Louis - ENS Africa
19 Church Street, Port Louis
Notary
- Me Didier MAIGROT
1st Floor, Labama House, Sir William Newton Street, Port Louis
Bankers
- The Mauritius Commercial Bank Limited
- SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd
- Afrasia Bank Limited
Board Constitution & Directors Profiles
M. A. Eric ESPITALIER-NOEL (62 years) - Chairperson - Non-Executive
Director
Appointed Director in 2004
Appointed Director in 2004, Chairperson of the Company since July 2004,
Eric Espitalier-Noël, born in 1959, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social
Sciences from the University of Natal in South Africa and a Master
degree in Business Administration from the University of Surrey (UK). In
1986, he joined ENL Limited of which he is today an Executive Director.
Directorship in listed companies: Eric is currently the CEO of ENL
Commercial Limited. He is also a Director of the following listed
companies: Rogers & Company Limited, ENL Limited, Livestock Feed
Limited (DEM), Les Moulins de la Concorde Ltée (DEM), Swan General Ltd,
Swan Life Ltd (DEM) and Tropical Paradise Co Ltd (Alternate Director)
(DEM)
M. L. Jean HARDY (73 years) - Executive Director
Appointed Director at incorporation in 1991 and as Alternate Director to
Farouk Hossen in 2002
Jean HARDY, born in 1948, is the promoter of the Tote Betting System in
Mauritius. He was one of the co-founders of Hardy Henry & Cie
Limitée in 1976 and is a director of Hardy Henry & Cie Limitée and
its affiliated companies.
Directorship in other listed companies: Nil
J. O. Guillaume HARDY (47 years) - Non-Executive Director
Appointed Director in 2013 and Managing Director in 2014
Guillaume Hardy, born in 1974, holds a BA (Hons) Business Administration
from South Bank University - London. He worked 2 years in London as
Financial Analyst from 1998 to 2000. Then he started his career in
Mauritius at PriceWaterhouseCoopers as Project Coordinator to afterwards
move to Barclays Bank PLC in the Premier Banking Department as Personal
Banker for 2 years. He joined the Tote in September 2003 as Off-Course
Manager and was nominated General Manager of Automatic Systems Ltd. in
2012 and Managing Director in 2014. He resigned as Managing Director in
August 2020 and now acts as non-executive director and consultant on a
contractual basis.
Directorship in other listed Companies: Nil
Sarah A. M. Heller (48 years) - Non-Executive Director
Appointed as Director in July 2018
Sarah HELLER, born in 1973, holds a Bachelor degree in Business &
Administration with a specialisation in Finance from INSEEC Paris. She
is also an investment dealer on Stock Exchange of Mauritius.
She is currently Director and Project Manager at Senior Homes Ltd, the
promoter, developer and operator of an assisted living facility. Her
non-profit activities include being a member on the Board of Le Lyceen
Ltd. In 2021, as part of her continuing professional development, she
obtained a certificate in Corporate Governance offered by the Mauritius
Institute of Directors and Open University of Mauritius.
Directorship in listed Companies: Nil
Ravindra CHETTY S.C (59 years) - Non-Executive Director
Appointed Director in 1997
Ravindra Chetty, born in 1962, read Law at Balliol College, Oxford
University. He was called to the bar in Middle Temple, England and in
Mauritius in 1987. Since then he is practising as a barrister at law in
Mauritius. His practice involves various areas such as civil,
commercial, tax and insurance law. He took silk in 2010.
Directorship in listed companies: Nil
Farouk A. A. HOSSEN (77 years) - Non-Executive Director
Appointed Director in 1991
Farouk HOSSEN, born in 1945, holds the Fellowship of the Association of
British Opticians and Masters for practice in contact lenses. He
practised the profession in England for three years before settling in
Mauritius where he established practice as an optician since 1972 and
founded F. Hossen Opticians Ltd, F. Hossen Optical Manufacture Ltd and
F. Hossen Medic Optics Ltd. He is a Director of a number of companies
and sat on the Board of the State Bank of Mauritius for two years. He is
also the Chairperson of Viva Voce Ltd (Radio1).
Directorship in listed Companies: Nil
John A. STUART (65 years) - Non-Executive Director
Appointed Director in 2008
John Stuart, born in 1956, holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree. He has
worked in the totalisator industry since 1979 when he joined the then
TAB KwaZulu-Natal as Internal Auditor. He filled various roles in that
organisation and then joined Phumelela and Leisure Ltd in 1997 as
Business Development Manager with his primary focus on alternative forms
of gambling. After occupying various roles in the organisation, he took
responsibility for the International Division in May 2006 with specific
focus on simulcasting and commingling. In September 2018 he was
appointed Chief Executive Officer of Phumelela. Since leaving Phumelela
in May 2020 he now consults to various businesses in the horse racing
and betting industry.
Directorship in listed Companies: Nil
Michel J. L. NAIRAC (67 years) - Non-Executive Director
Appointed Director in 2012
Michel NAIRAC was born in Mauritius in 1954 and completed his Articles
of Clerkship with Coopers and Lybrand in Durban South Africa. He started
his own agency business, Michel Nairac Bloodstock in 1986, which
continues to operate in the Equine Industry. He became a Director of the
KZN Owners and Trainers Association, a membership entity for Owners and
Trainers in KwaZulu-Natal, and was elected its Chairperson in 2000. With
the amalgamation of the Racing Clubs in KwaZulu-Natal he became a
Director of Gold Circle (Pty) Limited, the company that operates
thoroughbred horseracing and totalisator betting in the province of
KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. In 2001 he was appointed as CEO of Gold
Circle, a position he currently holds.
Directorship in listed Companies: Nil
Arvind Lall DOOKUN (57 years) - Independent Director
Appointed Director in 2013
Arvind Lall DOOKUN, born in 1963, holds a Textile Technology Diploma
from the University of Bolton (Textile Technology Dept.) formerly known
as Bolton Institute of Higher Education, Bolton, Greater Manchester, UK;
a Higher National Diploma in Clothing Technology and an Institute
Diploma BA Hons in Fashion & Clothing Business Management from the
London College of Fashion part of the University of the Arts, London UK.
He is an Associate member of the Textile Institute (TI) Manchester, UK
with an Associateship (CText ATI) Chartered Professional Qualification
and a Fellow of the Mauritius Institute of Directors (FMioD). He is the
Managing Director of General Export and Economic Development Services
Ltd, an Export Service Company (ESC) and the Executive Director &
Co-founder of A-Brokers Ltd, an FSC registered and licensed Insurance
Broker operating in the Insurance sector.
Directorship in listed companies: Nil
Mushtaq M. O. N. OOSMAN (64 years) - Independent Director
Appointed Director in 2016
Mushtaq OOSMAN, born in 1954, trained and qualified as a Chartered
Accountant with Sinclairs in the UK, before returning to Mauritius in
1983, when he joined the audit department of De Chazal Du Mée. He then
joined Roger de Chazal & Partners (founders of Price Waterhouse in
1988 in Mauritius). He was a Partner in PwC Mauritius from July 1991 up
to November 2015. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered
Accountants in England and Wales. He served on the Africa Central
Governance Board and is well versed with the working and
responsibilities of a Governance Board.
Directorship in listed Companies: Mushtaq is a Member of the Board of
Directors of ENL Limited, The Mauritius Union Assurance Co Ltd, United
Docks Ltd, Forges Tardieu Limited and La Prudence Life Assurance Ltd. He
has recently been appointed to the Board of Les Moulins de la Concorde
Ltée.
General Manager’s Profile
Robert C.Y.F. AH YAN (52 years) - General Manager
Robert AH YAN, born in 1969, holds an IATA/UFTAA Diploma since 1992 and
a Diploma in Management from Cambridge Tutorial College, Jersey, Britain
since 1994.
He joined Hardy Henry & Cie Limitée as Administrative Officer in
1992. He was promoted Assistant Manager in 1995 and as Manager in 2002
when the Company was awarded ISO 9001. He was the Tote and Sports
Systems Manager of Automatic Systems Ltd. since 2002 and has been
appointed as General Manager of the Company, effective as from 1st
August 2020. Over his years of service, he followed numerous Management
and IT courses and workshops and is continuously updating his skills,
knowledge and professional competence.
He is a Professional Member of ISACA (Information Systems Audit and
Control Association) since February 2013 and is a Certified Information
Systems Auditor (CISA) and a Certified Information Security Manager
(CISM).
Company Secretary’s Profile
Box Office Ltd is a domestic Company offering corporate and secretarial
as well as business facilitation services to a portfolio of domestic
companies. The two directors and shareholders of Box Office Ltd, Mrs.
Sylvia Maigrot and Mrs. Sophie Gellé are both qualified chartered
secretaries with more than 20 years’ experience in the corporate
secretarial practice. As qualified Secretaries, Mrs. Sylvia Maigrot and
Mrs. Sophie Gellé have to and do acquire continuing professional
development with a minimum of 20 CPD hours, per year.