Sportsbet were resorted to having to suspend wagering on race 12 at Maitland greyhounds on Monday night following a racial uproar on social media.
Punters were incensed after noticing the runner comment for race favourite Ezra Man, named after Broncos star Ezra Mam, began with the statement “Go Bananas!”
This came in the wake of an NRL racism scandal where Roosters player Spencer Leniu was penalised eight weeks for calling Ezra Mam a “monkey.”
Despite Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) quickly amending the comment on their website, Sportsbet couldn’t alter the remarks provided by the third-party supplier thedogs.com.au.
Consequently, the popular betting site stopped taking bets on the event two hours before it was scheduled to begin.
In a statement, GRNSW apologised unequivocally for the offensive comment, ensuring appropriate action was taken.
Sportsbet, too, condemned the hate speech, expressing disappointment and swiftly removing the event and related comments upon detection.