Greyhound racing in the United States


Greyhound racing in the United States is a sport and regular gambling activity. The sport is regulated by state or local law and the greyhound care is regulated by National Association of State of Racing Commissions and the American Greyhound Council. The AGC is jointly run by the National Greyhound Association.

History

The first greyhound in the United States was registered in 1894 and the oval form of racing with a mechanical or artificial hare was started by Owen Patrick Smith in 1912. California was the first state to introduce an oval greyhound track in May 1920, it was the first mechanical lure oval circuit in the world. Smith opened the track at Emeryville. The Emeryville arena was torn down in February 1920 to make way for the construction of a modern racetrack using the mechanical lure, described in the press as the "automatic rabbit" The first race at the new park was on Saturday, May 29, 1920
A greyhound called Joe Dump set a world record of 31 race wins in 1978 and 1979; the red brindle dog was trained by JC Stanley and owned by Joe Fallon and raced primarily at Greenetrack. The record was subsequently beaten by Ballyregan Bob. A greyhound called Leos Midas won for the 103rd time in 1998 to equal the record number of races won, the race was at Orange Park.In November 2018 the Florida public passed a State Constitutional Amendment making betting on live greyhound racing at Florida tracks illegal from 2021.

List of United States active tracks

There are currently eight active tracks in the United States.
Active greyhound tracks in Florida, where greyhound racing will be phased out by 2020, are highlighted in yellow.
Active greyhound tracks in Arkansas will be phased out by 2021 are highlighted in blue.
NameLocationStateNotes
Southland Park Gaming and RacingWest MemphisArkansas
Derby Lane Greyhound TrackSt. PetersburgFlorida
Orange Park Kennel ClubOrange ParkFlorida
Palm Beach Kennel ClubWest Palm BeachFlorida
Q CasinoDubuqueIowaFormerly Dubuque Greyhound Park
Gulf Coast RacingCorpus ChristiTexas
Gulf Greyhound ParkLa MarqueTexas
Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-RacetrackWheelingWest Virginia

By state

Alabama

At American tracks, greyhounds are kept in kennel compounds, in crates that are approximately three feet wide, four feet deep, and three feet high. Most kennels turn the dogs out 4 to 6 times per day. Each turnout can be from 30 to 90 minutes. Because greyhound kennels often house upwards of 50–70 dogs, crating is essential to the safety and wellbeing of canine life.
In addition to state law and regulations, most tracks adopt their own rules, policies and procedures. In exchange for the right to race their greyhounds at the track, kennel owners must sign contracts in which they agree to abide by all track rules, including those pertaining to animal welfare. If kennel owners violate these contract clauses, they stand to lose their track privileges and even their racing licenses. In order to be licensed to own, handle a race dog or work in a kennel, dog professionals must have a FBI background check and be licensed by the states. Additionally, the National Greyhound Association holds their membership to strict standards towards the care and handling of the dogs. Failure to comply can result in lifetime termination of membership and a ban from the sport.

Criticism

In Florida the amount gambled at dog tracks declined by 72% between 1990 and 2013. According to a study commissioned by the legislature, the state lost between $1 million and $3.3 million on greyhound racing in 2012. As recently as 2016, Florida industry professionals questioned if wagering was declining or transitioning to unreported online formats. In 2017, an investigation by the animal protection organization PETA exposed a Pet Blood Bank in Cherokee, Texas on a privately owned farm, was using farm bred greyhounds and 150 former racing greyhounds. The greyhounds were living in unacceptable conditions and suffered neglect. The National Greyhound Association then barred members from directly sending greyhounds to blood banks. The farm owned by the blood bank and unconnected to the NGA is due to close following the investigation.