Ex Ladbrokes CEO Jason Scott assumes the wheel as Racing Queensland CEO
As Jason Scott, contemplated accepting the mantle of CEO for Racing Queensland, he sought counsel from Brendan Parnell, the outgoing chief of the organisation.
The exchange was as succinct as it was significant.
Scott queried, “Do I really want to do this?” to which Parnell responded, “It is a good job. You have full autonomy.”
Mulling over his decision, Scott recalls, “Mine was a short question and I got a very short answer.”
In the same spirit of strategic calculation that Scott has practised since he was eight, he weighed the odds and embraced the challenge.
“I decided to take this position because I think I can make a difference,” he proclaimed, as he formally succeeded Parnell in late April.
His career, studded with enriching experiences and encounters with exceptional individuals in both Australia and the United States, has equipped him with invaluable insights.
Insights that he plans to channel into his stewardship of Racing Queensland.
Reflecting on the current state of the racing industry, Scott is optimistic.
“We are in a sensational period in racing across all three codes and in Queensland in particular.
We are still a fair way behind Victoria and NSW, but we are a lot closer than what we were six years ago and my goal and my job is to get us even closer in the next six years,” he declared, brimming with resolve.
An avid sports enthusiast, Scott has always had a keen eye for numbers, an attribute that was honed from his early days at the racetrack and has since become inseparable from his identity.
Born and bred in Sydney, Scott relocated to Brisbane in 2004.
Sport, whether racing or football, has always been Scott's passion.
His professional journey began in 2004 with Humbleton, a trailblazer in wagering analysis.
Subsequent ventures led him to positions at Tatts in Queensland and Australian greyhound bookmaker Bookmaker.com.au, culminating in a CEO role at greyhound betting site Ladbrokes Australia.
Most recently, he served with BetMGM in the United States, prior to his appointment at Racing Queensland.
His tenure in the wagering industry, he recounts, was a period of extraordinary evolution and expansion, as operators like Sportingbet and Ladbrokes began to recognise and exploit the potential of digital marketing.
This shift, Scott notes, brought wagering out of the confines of racing and sport and into mainstream consciousness.
Scott, however, is not oblivious to the potential perils of this burgeoning industry.
He acknowledges, “Now the question is whether it (wagering) has become too prominent … and I am probably of the opinion that in some ways it has,”.
He supports the restrictions on advertising wagering providers during certain hours on television, especially to protect young viewers from undue exposure to gambling risks.
In his role as the CEO of Racing Queensland, Scott is confident in his ability to effect positive change.
He emphasises, “The fact that I have made my money and career out of wagering doesn't mean that I don't have a good understanding of the other areas of the industry,”.
He envisions his role as a leader not merely as a decision-maker but as a builder of teams, drawing on the expertise of individuals within the industry who are better versed in all three codes than him.
His focus lies in creating a reliable and competent team that can collectively steer Racing Queensland on the path to success.
Scott's enthusiasm for the future opportunities, particularly in the realm of greyhound racing, is palpable.
He believes the sport is experiencing a ‘golden age' in Australia, underlined by the fact that Queensland's wagering turnover has doubled in the last five years.
He acknowledges, “There is no doubt now that greyhound racing is the second biggest racing code and I don't think we could have said that seven years ago.”.
As the new leader of Racing Queensland, Scott is excited to contribute to this burgeoning sector, leveraging his wealth of experience and passion for the sport.