Tasracing has moved to dismiss three stewards and stood down another following an integrity investigation that revealed they had been betting on races.
The regulator confirmed the sackings on Friday after an inquiry led by Tasmanian racing integrity commissioner Sean Carroll. The probe established that several stewards, including the acting chief thoroughbred steward, had placed more than 200 bets across a two-and-a-half-year period.
According to a statement released to the ABC, Tasracing said two of the dismissals were directly related to wagering activity, while the third was for serious misconduct. “Based on independent investigations and subsequent report findings provided by the Tasmanian Racing Integrity Commissioner, TasRacing has dismissed three stewards due to inappropriate wagering activity or other misconduct and breaches of policy and/or rules,” a spokesperson said. “One steward remains stood down while investigations continue.”
Carroll launched an audit of betting accounts in March, uncovering the breaches. Most of the wagers were placed while the individuals were employed by the now-defunct Office of Racing Integrity, which was dissolved last year. Some of the bets were made on races that the stewards themselves were officiating. Totals included $1400 for one steward and $275 for another.
Carroll confirmed there was no evidence of criminal behaviour, collusion, or race fixing but noted the findings posed a risk to the public’s confidence. “There was the potential to compromise confidence in the integrity of racing, and any form of wagering by stewards must be treated seriously,” he said.
With the spotlight back on integrity measures, the incident is likely to spark further scrutiny around racing governance and steward accountability.
