Racing and Sports (RAS) has appointed long-term CMS partner David Zeffman to its board of directors.
Zeffman will step down as a partner at the law firm and remain with CMS in an advisory capacity.
He has been advising RAS for a number of years prior to joining the supplier’s board.
Speaking to EGR about his appointment, Zeffman said: “I’ve been advising in horseracing and betting and the overlap between them for about 25 years. It’s a very good fit with their business.
“Racing and Sports is focused on horseracing and greyhound racing. It provides data, such as runners, riders, form and detailed comments, but also, importantly, pricing and managed trading systems”.
Zeffman’s appointment comes against the backdrop of a challenging period for British horseracing.
While the sport secured a carveout in the Autumn Budget tax hikes, from today, 1 April, remote gaming duty will jump from 21% to 40%.
Some operators, as part of wider mitigation strategies, have begun to pull out of racing sponsorships, as a result, including bet365 and Coral.
Meanwhile the government has said that it will keep the Horserace Betting Levy at 10%.
On the outlook for the sport, Zeffman added: “In one word, it’s challenged. Racing has been in decline for a few years but this has been exacerbated in recent years by a few factors.
“You’ve got affordability checks which have either put people off betting altogether or it means they are going to the black market, which means they are not contributing to racing and do not have the benefit of licensed operators’ safer gambling obligations.
“I think it’s true that racing is increasingly, if not already, a marginal product for some bookmakers, and the more costly it becomes, the more incentive they have to promote products which are higher margin for them. It’s the opposite of the stars being aligned.”
Zeffman’s appointment to the board takes the total number of RAS directors up to seven.
The board includes CEO Stephen Crispe and chief commercial officer Gary Crispe.
Andrew Twaits was appointed non-executive chair in August 2025.
The former CEO of Betfair Australia replaced Gregory Nichols in the post. Nichols remains on the board as a non-executive director.
Legal expert Sophie Karzis and former EY partner James Palmer make up the remainder of the board.
In the six months ending 31 December 2025, RAS reported a 38% jump in revenue to A$13.9m, while gross profit increased 31% to A$10.6m.
Annual recurring revenue increased 34% to A$24.6m as bosses pointed to new contracts and UK gains.
During the reporting period, RAS penned a new supply deal with LeoVegas Group while confirming it will stop working with Stake when its contract expires in May 2026.
Management said the non-renewal of the Stake deal was part of its focus on regulated markets.
Stephen Crispe, RAS CEO and managing director, added: “I welcome David to the board of RAS Technology Holdings.
“Having worked with David over a number of years I have seen first hand his professionalism and knowledge of the UK, European and global wagering sectors, and am excited to work with him moving forward.”
Arnold Ash is EGR’s Executive Recruitment Partner. They support ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.
The post Racing and Sports adds CMS partner as non-executive director first appeared on EGR Intel.
David Zeffman joins the ASX-listed supplier to support on UK growth, as he tells EGR horseracing is becoming a “marginal product” for bookmakers
The post Racing and Sports adds CMS partner as non-executive director first appeared on EGR Intel.