Racing and Sports targets global leadership after UK growth and leadership shake-up

Less than five years after establishing its UK presence with a modest team, Racing and Sports has seen its workforce quadruple, client numbers across Europe climb past 20, and annual revenue top £3 million. The Australian-founded racing data and trading provider, which has been operating since 1999, is now restructuring its leadership to fuel the next phase of international expansion.

Leadership changes reflect scaling ambitions

Jack Kelliher, recently promoted to Managing Director for UK and Europe, told SBC News that the organisational shifts underline how seriously the company is approaching its next growth stage. The UK and European operation now forms a substantial part of the global business, requiring what he called “the right business structure and the right investment in the people who have built it.”

Among the key moves, a senior figure named Brent has transitioned into a global operations role, bringing experience of running 24/7 racing operations across multiple time zones. Kelliher stressed that as Racing and Sports serves more markets heading into 2026 and 2027, “having someone with that operational depth and that global mindset in the right position is genuinely important to our clients.”

Internally, Andy Beckett steps up as Head of Operations. Kelliher noted Beckett has worked with nearly every UK sportsbook on racing products, giving him deep insight into operator needs. Alex Ashton moves into a more senior operations role, drawing on his prior experience at Sky Bet to understand client challenges first-hand.

Building credibility and overcoming early hurdles

Kelliher identified credibility as the initial barrier when entering new markets. “Getting a foothold in any market as a business operators have not previously worked with takes time,” he said. The combination of a specialist team and proprietary products proved decisive. Racing and Sports owns what it calls the world’s largest proprietary racing database, enabling unique racecard content and call-to-action features. Global agreements with all major rightsholders allow the firm to deliver a complete racing product through a single feed, reducing complexity for operators.

The UK proof points have been pivotal. Kelliher acknowledged the early clients who “took a chance on us before the brand was well known in this market,” giving the company a platform to demonstrate its capabilities. Now, with verifiable data and results, the brand is gaining recognition across Europe and beyond.

Three revenue streams for the next phase

Looking ahead, Kelliher outlined three parallel revenue streams. First is BetBridge, a single embedded component that provides a full racing vertical with coverage of 1,500 events daily across all jurisdictions and a route to 15%+ GGR margin. “For operators who have been putting off adding racing because of the complexity and cost involved, BetBridge changes that conversation entirely,” he said. Kelliher sees strong opportunities with new-generation marketing-first brands, particularly in crypto and global markets.

Second is the managed trading services (MTS) solution, which Kelliher described as market-leading and set for further development as operators outsource specialist services. Third is deeper collaboration with rightsholders such as the MTCJC, HKJC, and Australian racing authorities. Those relationships, he noted, are transferable now that Racing and Sports is building presence outside the Southern Hemisphere, with Latin America and Asia identified as key target regions.

Ambition to be number one globally

Kelliher stated plainly that the goal is to become the world’s number one racing data and trading provider. “We have the foundations to achieve it,” he said, citing the proprietary database and trading capability that is already delivering top-class results. Recent sign-off on further investment in trading underlines that commitment.

He envisions a scenario where, if all racing providers were free, operators would choose Racing and Sports “every single time.” The strategy remains straightforward: build world-class products, give operators tools to thrive, and maintain a single-minded focus on racing and greyhound services. “We have no agenda beyond that,” Kelliher added. “No hidden commercial interests, no pressure to take services they do not need.”