Easy decision for lawmakers
Arkansas has become the 44th state to ban greyhound racing. On Tuesday, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed House Bill 1721, which also requires off-track betting facilities to phase out simulcast greyhound racing by 2028.
“Greyhound advocates everywhere applaud Governor Huckabee Sanders for signing this important bill,” said GREY2K USA President and General Counsel Christine A. Dorchak in a press release. “Arkansas will join 43 other states that have already rejected this outdated and inhumane form of gambling.”
It was a swift journey for the bill, a bipartisan effort led by Representative Matt Brown (R) and Senator Jamie Scott (D). It was only just introduced on March 10 and cleared both chambers of the legislature in ten days.
Two tracks left
Greyhound racing was once a popular pastime in the United States, generally a more accessible version of horse racing. But as awareness grew of the horrible conditions many dogs faced, the industry began to decline.
Now, there are just six states in which greyhound racing is still legal: Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Despite its legality, the only state that still has any open tracks is West Virginia, and it has just two. Iowa Greyhound Park closed in 2022, leaving West Virginia’s Mardi Gras Casino & Resort and Wheeling Island Casino & Racetrack as the only two left in the United States.
Connecticut was the last state to outlaw greyhound racing, doing so in 2024. The biggest domino to fall was Florida, which was the first state to legalize pari-mutuel betting on dogs nearly 100 years ago, and which eventually became the nation’s greyhound racing hotbed.
Florida voters approved a ban by a 69-31 margin in November 2018. The state’s dozen tracks were phased out by the end of 2020.
Simulcast out, too
Sixteen states still have simulcast dog racing, which is betting on races that are not occurring live at that location. Simulcast facilities will broadcast live or slightly delayed races from around the world and take bets from customers at the location.
Last year, New Hampshire and Arizona passed laws prohibiting simulcast racing, though operators still have time to shut down their operations. Colorado, Kansas, and Massachusetts had previously made the business illegal.
The bill Arkansas’ governor just signed bans simulcast racing. Operators have until the start of 2028 to close everything down.
