Racing and Sports appoints Ronnie Tay as Head of Asia

Abi Bray

4 November 2025 at 6:56am UTC-5

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Australian racing data and technology company Racing and Sports has appointed Ronnie Tay as Head of Asia, as it expands its operations in Asia.

Racing and Sports recently established operations in Hong Kong and in April 2025 onboarded six established Hong Kong-based racing publications and a data service.

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In his new role, Tay is responsible for managing Racing and Sports’ operations and partnerships across Asia, directing business development, regional expansion, and digital and data initiatives.

He has over two decades of experience in the racing, sports, and media technology industries, having previously served as Managing Director of the horse racing technology company iRace Media.

Tay said, “It’s an exciting time to be part of Racing and Sports. With its world-class data and technology, the company is perfectly positioned to deliver innovative solutions and support the continued growth of racing and wagering in Asia.”

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Racing and Sports Managing Director and Chief Executive Stephen Crispe added, “The appointment of Ronnie marks an exciting step forward for RAS. Ronnie’s leadership, industry knowledge and networks, coupled with his regional expertise with strengthen our presence and drive growth across the Asian markets.”

The appointment comes as Asia’s gambling sector continues to expand. Earlier this year, the Hong Kong Jockey Club partnered with Simon Fuller’s XIX Entertainment as part of an initiative to position itself as a global sports and entertainment brand.

Meanwhile, the Philippines was recently projected to become the second-largest gaming hub in Asia.

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The Backstory

Why this appointment matters now

Racing and Sports’ decision to put an experienced executive at the center of its Asia strategy lands at a moment when the region’s racing and wagering ecosystems are expanding and professionalizing. The company has planted a flag in Hong Kong, onboarded leading local publications and a data service, and is positioning data as infrastructure for operators and media. That push mirrors how global betting and sports-tech firms are localizing leadership to accelerate distribution, navigate regulatory patchworks and lock down partnerships before rivals do.

The timing aligns with a broader recalibration across the industry. Sports-betting brands, data firms and content platforms are recruiting regional operators and policy specialists to secure market access, de-risk regulatory exposure and build durable revenue channels. The through line: governance, compliance and localization are no longer support functions but central to commercial strategy. In Asia, where licensing regimes vary and racing retains cultural and commercial weight, the right relationships can determine who scales and who stalls.

This backdrop also includes ambitious moves by incumbents seeking global relevance and by emerging hubs vying for capital. As racing authorities and private operators experiment with cross-border media, data syndication and fan engagement, the value of a seasoned Asia lead rises. The stakes are straightforward: data quality and distribution underpin pricing, integrity and fan products, while market fluency determines speed to revenue.

Regional hires point to an Asia land grab

Racing and Sports is not alone in sharpening its Asia focus with on-the-ground leadership. Scores provider and betting platform LiveScore named a Singapore-based regional director to spearhead growth, signaling that user acquisition, partnerships and product localization now require dedicated senior oversight rather than remote management. The company framed the move as an important step to expand its footprint and deepen ties with fans and operators across the region. Read more about LiveScore’s first Asia-based senior hire in its appointment of Timothy Oh as regional director.

These appointments reflect a competition for attention and distribution in markets where football, horse racing and digital wagering intersect. Execution in Asia often hinges on regulatory literacy, local media relationships and payments know-how. Firms that anchor senior leaders in-market can iterate faster on product features, content partnerships and compliance disclosures, shortening the path from integration to monetization. The result is a more resilient regional P&L that can withstand policy shocks and seasonal volatility.

There is also a content and data race underway. Companies with strong data pipelines and editorial relationships can arm operators and media with differentiated insights, while converting fans through live scores, odds and racing form. In that context, building an Asia-native leadership bench is both a commercial and defensive move.

Policy muscle becomes a must-have

Away from Asia, U.S. operators and adjacent platforms are reinforcing their public affairs capabilities—a trend with direct implications for global firms courting regulators and partners. FanDuel, for instance, bolstered its Washington presence by hiring a longtime Democratic communications strategist as senior vice president of public affairs and an NFL policy lead to run federal affairs. The company cast the hires as foundational to shaping online gaming rules over the long term. Details are in FanDuel’s appointments of Shailagh Murray and Jonathan Nabavi.

Meanwhile, prediction market platform Kalshi tapped a former American Gaming Association executive to lead corporate development as it pushes deeper into event contracts. That expansion has drawn cease-and-desist orders from several states, prompting the company to highlight its federal regulator and frame itself as a financial exchange for events. The regulatory posture, and the hire behind it, underscore how product innovation now demands sophisticated lobbying and compliance narratives. More on the dynamics in Kalshi’s recruitment of Sara Slane.

For Asia-facing firms, the lesson is clear: policy fluency is a growth lever. Whether negotiating data rights with racing authorities, securing media distribution or aligning with wagering oversight, governance strategy travels across borders. Organizations that integrate public affairs with business development can preempt roadblocks and translate regulatory clarity into commercial advantage.

Rules in motion reshape the opportunity

U.S. statehouses continue to test new channels for regulated wagering, a signal of how legislative momentum can open or close adjacent markets. In South Carolina, lawmakers are debating a tightly scoped bill to allow online pari-mutuel horse betting and create an oversight commission, explicitly excluding other games of chance and historical horse racing. The proposal would direct proceeds toward the state’s equine economy, reflecting a common political bargain behind racing-focused legislation. The latest status is in the South Carolina Equine Advancement Act update.

For racing data providers and media, such bills have a twofold impact. First, they widen the addressable market for form data, odds and integrity services as regulated wagering expands. Second, they invite scrutiny of data provenance and platform safeguards, raising the bar for vendors that want to power licensed operators. As more jurisdictions draw bright lines between racing and other betting categories, companies with racing heritage and compliant tech stacks can move faster.

Asia has its own moving parts, from established hubs that are recasting themselves as entertainment platforms to emerging markets seeking to attract investment. That mix pushes operators to pursue regional partnerships and robust compliance playbooks—prerequisites for scaling without regulatory missteps.

Parallel tracks in Latin America

Another signal comes from Latin America, where suppliers and operators are staffing up to capture growth under evolving regulations. Online casino supplier EGT Digital appointed a veteran sales leader to head its regional iGaming push, citing the region’s strategic importance and the need for leadership with deep operator relationships. The company pitched its portfolio as tailor-made for diverse local tastes. See more in EGT Digital’s naming of Andres Troelsen.

The LatAm example maps onto Asia’s trajectory: fragmented rules, rising mobile penetration and intense competition favor firms that localize product, secure trusted distribution and engage regulators early. Cross-regional learnings on payments, anti-fraud, channel marketing and responsible gambling standards can shorten build times and reduce compliance risk. For companies scaling across both regions, shared frameworks for data quality, integrity and customer protection become competitive assets.

What’s at stake for racing data and wagering

Racing remains a pillar of betting in parts of Asia, with entrenched fan bases and institutional operators. As the sector digitizes, the battle is shifting to who controls the pipes—data ingestion, analytics, distribution and product experiences that convert fans into bettors or subscribers. Appointing seasoned regional leaders, as several firms have done, is a bid to capture those pipes and the relationships behind them.

The implications extend beyond near-term partnerships. Companies that lock in premium data rights, local media tie-ups and regulatory goodwill can set terms for pricing, latency and exclusivity, shaping margins for years. Conversely, firms that cede the ground game may find themselves as commodity providers in markets where brand and access determine yield.

In short, the current wave of strategic hires—from Asia regional directors to Washington policy leads—signals a more mature phase of expansion. Growth will favor operators and suppliers that marry world-class data with local execution, and that treat regulation and partnerships as core products rather than afterthoughts.