Who we are
The Company has celebrated, in December 2016, the 25th 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 Mauritius Turf Club (MTC) 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 2019 there are more than 28,000 account holders who
can 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 revenues.
As an illustration of this innovation and sustainability mindset and as
a measure of diversification, the Company started offering fixed odd
betting on international football 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 Rs123.9
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 – 2019
- The company has contributed more than Rs985 million to the Racing
Industry
The Company currently employs 29 full time staff and about 300 casuals.
How we lead
Organisation Structure
Board & Committees
Board of Directors
Chairperson and Independent Director
- M.A. Eric ESPITALIER NOEL
Executive Directors
- M.L. Jean HARDY
- J. O. Guillaume HARDY – Managing Director
Non-Executive Directors
- Sarah A. M. HELLER
- Michel J.L. NAIRAC
- John A. STUART
Independent Directors:
- Ravindra CHETTY
- O. Farouk A. A. HOSSEN
- Arvind Lall DOOKUN
- Mushtaq M. O. N. OOSMAN
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 Committee
- Ravindra CHETTY - Chairperson
- Eric ESPITALIER NOEL
- M.L. Jean HARDY
Senior Management
- Robert AH YAN – System Manager
Company Secretary
- Box Office Ltd
2nd Floor, Palm Square, 90906 La Mivoie, Tamarin
Board Constitution & Directors Profiles
M. A. Eric ESPITALIER-NOEL – Chairperson – Independent Director
Appointed Director in 2004
Chairperson of the Company since July 2004, Eric ESPITALIER-NOEL, 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. He is currently
the CEO of ENL Commercial Ltd. He is also a director of the following
listed companies:
Rogers & Company Ltd, ENL Ltd, Livestock Feed Ltd (DEM) and Les
Moulins de la Concorde Ltée (DEM).
M. L. Jean HARDY – Executive Director
Appointed Director at incorporation in 1991
Appointed 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.
J. O. Guillaume HARDY – Managing 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.
Sarah A. M. Heller – Non-Executive Director
Appointed as Director in July 2018
Sarah HELLER, born in 1973, holds a Bachelor in Business &
Administration – option Finance with 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.
Ravindra CHETTY S.C – Independent 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 was the President of the Mauritius
Bar Association in 2005. He took silk in 2010. He also acts as legal
advisor of various funds. He had been the President of Mauritius
Football Association from 1996 to 2002.
Mr Ravindr CHETTY does not hold any directorship in other listed
companies.
O. Farouk A. A. HOSSEN – Independent 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).
John A. STUART – Non-Executive Director
Appointed Director in 2008
John Stuart, born in 1956, holds a B.Com and is the International
Executive Director of Phumelela Gaming and Leisure Ltd. 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 at the time of his departure he was Assistant General
Manager. He joined Phumelela 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. In September 2018 he was appointed
Chief Executive Officer pf Phumelela. He is also a non-executive
Director of Premier Gateway International Ltd (IOM).
Michel NAIRAC – 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 then 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.
Arvind Lall DOOKUN – Independent Director
Appointed Director in 2013
Arvind Lall DOOKUN, born in 1963, holds a Textile Technology Diploma
from the UMIST (Textile Dept. BIHE Bolton, UK), HND in Clothing
Technology and an Institute Diploma BA Hons academic equivalent in
Clothing & Fashion 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 (ESC Import & Export Company) and the Executive Director Co-founder
of A-Brokers Ltd established in the Insurance industry as a local
Insurance Broker registered and licensed by the FSC.
Mushtaq M. O. N. OOSMAN – 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. He is also a Member of the Board of Directors of ENL Limited, Rey
and Lenferna Limited, The Mauritius Union Assurance Co Ltd, United Docks
Ltd and La Prudence Life Assurance Ltd.
Senior Manager’s Profile
Robert AH YAN – Tote and Sports Systems 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 ISO9001. He is 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 May 2020. Over his
years of service, he followed numerous Management and IT courses 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.