Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JAPAN JUN 2020 22 写真/ Photo by Jornal Tribuna de Macau/File COVER STORY “Gaming should never be a win-lose proposition,” Ho said, framing his vision of corporate social responsibility, backed by tens of millions of dollars in philanthropy in Macau, mainland China, Hong Kong and beyond. “ From society, to society: this is my long- term vision. Although I’m not a gambler, I would wager that this is one of the best bets that you can make.” Four weeks later, Ho fell in a bathroom at his Hong Kong compound, leading to three brain surgeries, effectively ending his business career, though he didn’t surrender chairmanship of his casino holdings until June 2018 at age 96. His own words and his decade-long health battle notwithstanding, make no mistake: Stanley Ho won and won big. From his 16 children by four different consorts to five decades as the King of Macau, Ho was larger than life, a passionate ballroom dancer, proud owner of Hong Kong 2008/09 Horse of the Year Viva Pataca and an extraordinarily successful businessman. Wielding an iron fist in a velvet glove guided by superhuman quantities of brains, guts and charm, Ho created the modern Macau that China inherited in December 1999. FAMILY TREE Ho cultivated the image of Macau’s goodhearted uncle, backed with a reputation for ruthlessness and a hidden mean streak. For decades, Ho pressured sister Winnie Ho over two children fathered by their cousin Eric Hotung; one of those children sued Ho, claiming HK$2 billion (US$255 million) in unpaid STDM dividends. In 2011, Ho went on live television from his sickbed at age 89 to fight Pansy Ho and her allies over distribution of his fortune. Some Ho apples didn’t fall far from the tree.