Arkansas Bans Greyhound Racing and Simulcast Betting

Following an attempt to legalize online gambling at the expense of sweepstakes pitched last month, Arkansas is now plowing forward with a new important move prohibiting greyhound racing.

Arkansas Moves against Greyhound Racing with Decisive Step Forward

A bill signed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday effectively bans the activity along with a restriction on simulcasts which allowed state residents to gamble at out-of-state races as well as international races.

Arkansas joins a long list of states that have chosen to prohibit gambling on greyhound races, citing animal welfare concerns.

A total of 44 states have moved against the domestic sector, within the confines of their own boundaries, but Arkansas has shown itself to go further by targeting simulcasts at the same time. Simulcasts betting will be wound down through 2028, however, so it won’t be in effect immediately.

Arkansas is the sixth state to have moved against this particular activity, which many critics have called a loophole to the greyhound racing ban. Other states to have enacted the same measure include New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Kansas, Colorado, and Arizona.

Greyhound racing has indeed been a dying breed, as interest in the competitions hosted at domestic racetracks has been lessening year in and year out.

A mix of animal activists and a natural aversion to the organization of the sport, often seen as cruel to most younger generations, has prompted lawmakers to act boldly on an issue that has not cost them much political capital to enact.

Greyhound Races Losing Popularity Even in Former Hotbeds

Presently, there are only two racing establishments to host such events, with the Wheeling Island Casino & Racetrack and Mardi Gras Casino & Resort in West Virginia holding out for now. However, more data indicates that greyhounds are suffering from their participation in the races, with 568 injuries across the two venues in 2023 alone.

A sure-fire sign that the practice is coming to an end is exemplified by Florida’s decision to move forward with this measure and outlaw greyhound races. It matters because Florida was considered to be the state with the best developed greyhound racing industry in its heyday during the 1970s and the 1980s.