Congress Weighs Ban on Greyhound Racing as U.S. Tracks Shrink to 2
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 30
Congress Weighs Ban on Greyhound Racing as U.S. Tracks Shrink to 2
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 30
Only 2 commercial greyhound tracks remain in the United States, both in West Virginia, as Congress considers legislation that would outlaw dog racing nationwide.
More than 60 tracks once operated across 19 states, and annual spectator betting reached about $3.5 billion at the sport’s peak in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Animal-rights pressure helped drive state bans over the past two decades, while legalized sports betting gave gamblers many alternatives and further cut attendance.
Fans and critics alike now describe greyhound racing as nearing its end, with the federal bill threatening the last legal commercial races still running.
Once the last tracks close, what happens to the hundreds of greyhounds bred for a sport that no longer exists?
Could the federal greyhound ban set a precedent for other industries in the U.S. that rely on animals?
With a national ban looming, how will West Virginia replace the jobs and public funds lost from greyhound racing?