South African-born Australian Chief Stipe in betting enquiry.

Racing Minister Rob Hulls said he was committed to getting to the bottom of the betting scandal that has enveloped Racing Victoria Limited (RVL) chief executive Stephen Allanson this week. Pressure is mounting on Allanson amid revelations that he placed bets, using a nom de plume, with a bookmaker during the spring carnival. Stewards were forced to reveal this week that Allanson used a false name when he had five credit bets, the largest $100, with rails bookmaker Rod Cleary on Caulfield Guineas, Cox Plate and Emirates Stakes days. The former RVL betting supervisor's voice was detected by RVL's bookmaker supervisory staff when they were checking phone bets. Betting under an assumed name is not an offence, but various identities within the racing industry are concerned that the betting scandal raises credibility, integrity and transparency issues. The affair was "haemorrhaging", according to RVL chairman Michael Duffy who said he would sit down and talk to Hulls once the Office of Racing had completed its report and the minister had considered it. "We'll go through that process," Duffy said. "It's haemorrhaging at the moment, everyone is talking about it." Stewards, chaired by RVL Integrity Services chief Des Gleeson, took no action against Allanson when the inquiry into the bets was held at Caulfield last Saturday. Cleary was reprimanded for accepting bets and knowingly recording them in a false name. "I want to ensure the integrity of the racing industry and this is a great industry," said Hulls, who is currently Acting Premier of Victoria. "I've read reports about bets that have taken place by the RVL CEO and I thought it was very important to ask my department to conduct a full investigation in relation to this to get all the relevant facts presented to me. "And once I have all that material I will obviously make a comment publicly and also I'll be meeting with the chairman of RVL. "Ultimately it's a matter for RVL, but as Minister for Racing, it is important that I also fully appraise the facts of this matter and my independent department, the Office of Racing, will be reporting to me ... certainly within a week. "I don't see why it should take any longer than that and hopefully it will be even before that." Hulls did not want to go into specifics regarding the amount of time that had passed before the matter had been dealt with by the RVL Integrity Services department. "I don't want to pre-empt the outcome of what my department might report to me," he said. "But I think this is a matter that shouldn't be taken lightly, obviously. I think it is a matter my department will take seriously and that I take seriously and I want to get to the bottom of it."

Stephen Allanson resigns as a result of the above

The Big G.
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