Following the news that several horses at prestigious Godolphin stables were tested positive for anabolic steroids, numerous UK bookmakers have decided to return bets to race-goers who placed money on horses that tested positive for steroids.

In the biggest ever doping scandal in the UK, eleven horses at the esteemed stables owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, a Dubai ruler, were tested positive for anabolic steroids.

A spokesperson for William Hill Sportsbook, Kate Miller, said that this is an unprecedented occurrence and that no one betting could ever have predicted these events. Miller added that they believe that the honorable thing to do for their customers is to refund all ante-post bets on four horses from the Godolphin stables, namely Desert Bloom, Certify, Restraint Of Trade and Artigiano.

According to Ladbrokes, it will be returning £200,000 worth of bets that were placed on horses that were tested positive for steroids.

Paddy Power intends checking its position on affected horses but will meanwhile refund all bets on Certify for the 1000 Guineas.

Mahmood al Zarooni, the Godolphin Stables trainer, admitted administering two steroids to the eleven affected horses but claims that he was not aware that it was an offence to use the drugs when the horses were not racing. Zarooni will be attending a disciplinary hearing.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed was absolutely appalled when given the news and said that they will await the outcome of the BHA inquiry before they take any further internal action. He added that the use of the drugs is totally unacceptable to him.

Hopes that Canadians may soon be able to wager on single sports events died this week when MP Joe Comartin’s bill failed to make it through Senate. There were considerable hopes that legislators would adopt the bill that would allow single game wagering, especially since it sailed so fast through the Commons. Unfortunately, however, numerous delays by Senate resulted in the end of the road for the bill.

The bill, C-290, which was been supported by Bob Runcimen in the Senate, was introduced almost a year ago by the Commons and has lain there since then. Occasionally, sports leagues would express their opposition to the bill, claiming that it would encourage match fixing and other criminal activities – something which has been disproven by experts.

It is quite an unusual situation where Senate rejects legislation which has been so successful in its passage, however such has been the fate of C-290.

Legislators have vowed that this is not the end of their efforts to introduce single game wagering in Canada, and at least one of them, NDP MP Brian Masse, has committed to reintroducing C-290.

Bill C-290 aimed to amend the sports betting criminal code which currently makes it a criminal offence to wager on “any race or fight, or on a single sports event or athletic contest.” By amending this clause, C-290 would essentially make single sports events betting legal in Canada.