Racing and Sports Adds Fairplay Exchange as Second UK Client

Racing and Sports (RAS) has secured Fairplay Exchange as its second UK client, continuing its expansion in the British horse racing market despite ongoing regulatory and tax pressures on the betting sector.

Fairplay Exchange, a social betting platform founded in 2022, has partnered with RAS to relaunch its horse racing offering after operating without the product for around a year. The agreement centres on the deployment of a new, fully integrated racing solution designed to reintroduce the sport to Fairplay’s user base.

Under the partnership, RAS will provide runner insights, raceday data sourced from global rights holders, and a fully managed trading service. This includes pricing and risk management capabilities, allowing Fairplay Exchange to retain control over its trading strategy while relying on RAS’s infrastructure and expertise.

Jack Kelliher, commercial director at Racing and Sports, said Fairplay Exchange was seeking ease of integration, flexibility over trading and pricing, and confidence that its partner could deliver strong commercial performance. He added that RAS was pleased to be selected in a competitive market and described the partnership as one the company is “incredibly proud of”.

The Fairplay Exchange deal represents RAS’s second UK partnership, following an agreement with Stakemate last year. Both platforms operate within the growing social betting segment, which has become an increasingly attractive area for suppliers looking to diversify their UK footprint.

International racing focus.

British horse racing enters 2026 in a complex position. While the sport avoided the introduction of a direct “racing tax” following a high-profile industry campaign in 2025, it still faces indirect impacts from broader changes to online betting taxation. The planned increase in Remote Gaming Duty from 21% to 40% in April could affect sponsorship budgets and marketing spend, creating knock-on effects for racing.

Despite these challenges, horse racing remains the second most bet-on sport in the UK and continues to hold significant value for both operators and suppliers, driven by flagship events such as the Grand National and the Cheltenham Festival.

Stephen Cripse, chief executive officer of Racing and Sports, said the Fairplay Exchange partnership marks the company’s first embedded racing solution in the UK regulated market. He noted that the deal reflects Fairplay’s ambition to introduce racing through a scalable, rapidly deployable product while maintaining control over performance and trading.

Alongside its UK activity, RAS has also been expanding internationally, including building a presence in Asia. In recent months, the company has moved into the Hong Kong market as part of a broader strategy to grow its Racing and Sports Asia division.

Cripse added that by combining pre-race data, official raceday information and proprietary trading technology, RAS is confident it can deliver a racing product designed for long-term performance and commercial sustainability as the partnership with Fairplay Exchange develops.