Upholding Integrity: Who in the Thoroughbred Industry Can and Cannot Bet

28 November 2025

Thoroughbred racing relies on the highest standards of honesty, fairness, and transparency to maintain public confidence. To protect these values, strict betting and conduct rules apply to those directly involved in the sport, ensuring that races are conducted free from any real or perceived conflict of interest.

Officials: No Financial Interest in Race Outcomes

Officials play a critical role in guaranteeing that every race is run and decided fairly. Under Australian Rule of Racing AR 156, no person with a financial interest in the result of a race may act in an official capacity at that event. This restriction applies to key integrity positions such as:

  • Steward
  • Veterinary Surgeon
  • Handicapper
  • Judge
  • Starter
  • Clerk of the Course or Clerk of the Scales
  • Farrier
  • Barrier Attendant
  • Timekeeper
  • Any assistant or deputy to these roles

These rules prevent even the appearance of bias, ensuring that every decision, whether it involves horse assessments, race timing, or enforcement of the rules, is made impartially and without outside influence.

Jockeys and Apprentices: Strict Conduct and Betting Rules

Jockeys and apprentice jockeys are held to the highest ethical standards under AR 115. They must not engage in misconduct, accept money or gifts without Steward approval, or involve themselves in any betting activity on a thoroughbred race anywhere in the world. This includes holding a bet, having an interest in a bet, or facilitating bets for others.

They are also prohibited from entering the betting ring during a race meeting or betting on any race.  Lay betting, where a person wagers on a horse to lose, is also strictly banned. A minimum penalty of two years disqualification applies if a jockey is found to have bet on a race they rode in, unless special circumstances exist.

Approved Riders: Betting Prohibitions at Race Meetings

Under AR 148, approved riders such as trackwork or trials riders who have race-day engagements cannot bet or enter a betting ring at the meeting in which they are riding. This ensures that all riders, whether licensed professionals or approved participants, perform their duties free from any betting-related influence on their conduct or performance.

Betting with or for Jockeys: Offence for All Participants

Rule AR 236 makes it an offence for any person to bet with or on behalf of a jockey or apprentice, or to provide any financial or other benefit to a rider connected to betting. This prevents improper associations that could compromise results or undermine the fairness of the sport.

Betting with non-approved wagering operators

Under AR 238, any person bound by the Australian Rules of Racing is prohibited from placing a bet on Australian thoroughbred racing with a wagering operator that has not been approved. This restriction also applies to situations where a person arranges for a bet to be placed on their behalf or holds any form of interest in a bet placed on Australian thoroughbred racing with a non-approved wagering operator.

Lay Betting: Strictly Prohibited

Under AR 237, specific participants are banned from laying horses, that is, betting against a horse to lose. These include:

  • Trainers: Cannot lay any horse under their care or within 21 days of leaving their stable.
  • Stable employees: Cannot lay horses trained by their employer during or within 21 days of their employment.
  • Owners or nominators: Cannot lay horses they own or have nominated.
  • Riders’ agents: Cannot lay horses ridden by the riders they represent.
  • Service providers: Such as veterinarians, farriers, or transporters, cannot lay any horse they have provided a service to within 21 days.

It is also a breach to induce anyone to affect a horse’s performance, arrange for another to lay the horse, or profit from such an arrangement.

Why Integrity Rules Matter

These prohibitions are not only about preventing misconduct, but they also protect the reputation of racing itself. By enforcing clear boundaries between betting activity and those participating in or administering the sport, racing authorities guard against conflicts of interest and preserve the confidence of owners, punters, and the public.

Integrity in appearance is as vital as integrity in practice. Public trust depends on knowing that every race is run on level terms, judged by independent officials, and decided solely by the skill of the participants and the performance of their horses.

To read more and find links to the Rules of Racing – Thoroughbred visit the Racing Queensland website www.racingqueensland.com.au/industry/thoroughbred/rules.