Committee Member Profile—Michael J. Hoblock Jr.

A lawyer, ex-racehorse owner, and former elected public servant for 20 years, Michael J. Hoblock Jr. is the new chairman and chief executive officer of the New York State Racing and Wagering Board. As such, he is also the newest member of the Harry M. Zweig Memorial Fund Committee. He joined the committee in May 1997, succeeding Jerry Bilinski.

As chair of the Racing and Wagering Board, Hoblock has responsibility for regulating all legal betting except the lottery in New York State. His office oversees ten racetracks, six harness and four thoroughbred off-track betting corporations as well as scores of branches; bingo, raffles, bell jars, and Las Vegas nights that run every year at thousands of organizations throughout the state; and one casino on the Oneida Indian Reservation and another that's about to be opened by the Mohawk Indian tribe on the St. Regis Reservation. All told, the Board issues about 15,000 licenses a year and the operations account for $7 billion to $9 billion in legal wagering. These activities provide jobs for thousands of New York State citizens and generate tens of millions of dollars in revenues for local and state government.

"It's a fact of life that horse racing nationally, because of competition, is not what it used to be. We didn't have casinos or state lotteries 15 or 20 years ago."

Hoblock notes that all these forms of legal wagering have taken a toll on horse racing. Fifteen years ago, he says, the pari-mutual tax collected from the state's race tracks brought in some $85 million a year. These days, the tax yields only about $20 million.

"It's a fact of life that horse racing nationally, because of competition, is not what it used to be. We didn't have casinos or state lotteries 15 or 20 years ago," Hoblock says. He adds that the state has responded by taxing the racing industry less and less so that now the tax on standardbred racing, for example, is down to almost zero.

Hoblock, 55, was born and raised in the Albany area. After attending a military high school, he earned a bachelor of business degree at Siena College and a law degree at Albany Law School. He then served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze Star. Leaving the Marines in 1971, he joined the law firm of Zubres, D'Agostino, Hoblock, & Greisler, eventually becoming a partner. He specializes in civil litigation, family and domestic law, real estate, and commercial business law.

Although Hoblock had ridden as a boy, having grown up around horses that lived on neighboring farms, he became much more involved with them in the mid-1970s when he bought two standardbred pacers. He raced them until 1978, when his election to the New York State Assembly required that he sell them to avoid potential conflicts of interest. In 1985, after three terms in the assembly, he was elected to the Colonie Town Board, where he served for six years before being elected to the full time job as Albany County Executive. In 1994, after two years as county executive, he was elected to the New York State Senate. A re-election bid in 1996 failed.

"I come from a family that's always been very active in public service and politics," says Hoblock, who estimates that he put in 80- to 90-hour weeks practicing law and serving in public office at the same time. "Both my father and uncle were involved so it was natural for me at some point to get involved as well. I enjoyed public service very much, but like all things, it came to an end."

When he was defeated in 1996, Hoblock expressed interest to the governor that he would be interested in the position of chair of the Racing and Wagering Board, which was due to become vacant, and he was appointed in May 1998. By statute, Hoblock not only serves as a member of the Zweig Committee, he also serves as vice chair of both the Thoroughbred Capital Improvement Board and the Thoroughbred Breeding Board, and as chair of the Harness Breeding Board.

"Although I've only been to one Zweig meeting so far, I'd like to become much more knowledgeable and involved with the research projects and other activities of the board so I can develop my own opinions about the value of potential projects to the thoroughbred and harness industry," he says. "As a lay person, I must now rely heavily on the veterinarians and other scientists on the committee. But even in this short time, I've learned an enormous amount."

When not on the job, Hoblock can often be found working in the community. He's a member of the board of the Northeastern Urban League, a member of the local senior citizens service center, director and vice president of the local Boy Scout Council, a local advisory board member with Key Bank, a member of the New York State Commission on Restoration of the State Capital, and a major with the New York State Naval Militia.

In whatever few leisure moments are left, he might be found relaxing with his wife, Karen, skiing, or playing golf or handball.