Oregon Bans Betting on Dog Racing, Closes ADW Loophole

Posted on: April 30, 2025, 01:49h. 

Last updated on: May 1, 2025, 03:10h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.
  • Oregon closes ADW loophole by banning greyhound bets
  • Animal welfare concerns drive legislative action
  • Economic implications for state’s racing industry

The Oregon legislature has passed a bill to prohibit betting on dog racing. While greyhound racing has been illegal in the state since 2022, advance-deposit wagering sites (ADWs) licensed in Oregon can still accept wagers for races held internationally and in West Virginia, the only state in the US that still holds live races.

Oregon House Bill 3020, Greyhound Racing Ban, Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW), Oregon Racing Commission, Animal Welfare Legislation
Despite possible negative repercussions for the state’s horse racing industry, the bill was requested by Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D), above. (Image: LBGTQ Victory Fund)

Oregon is one of two ADW hubs in the US, along with North Dakota, that allows its licensees to take online bets on dog and horse racing. The majority of all internet bets made nationwide on dog races are placed through the Oregon hub system via companies like AmWest Entertainment, TwinSpires, and Xpressbet.

House Bill 3020, which was passed by the Senate state Senate 16-12 Tuesday, essentially prevents Oregon ADWs from processing those bets, which will negatively impact the state’s ADW industry.

Knock-on-Effect

That could have a knock-on effect on the horse racing industry since the Oregon Racing Commission (ORC) relies on ADW wagering for about 75% of its funding. While greyhound bets represent less than 2% of the total of all those bets, it’s still a significant figure, which could tempt ADW operators to migrate to North Dakota.

Nevertheless, concerns about animal welfare have trumped any mild economic disadvantages. The bill was filed at the request of Oregon’s Democratic governor, Tina Kotek, to whose desk it is now headed, and was backed by the ORC itself.

In 2023, 10,542 greyhounds were injured worldwide at racetracks that use the Oregon ADW hub system, according to the ORC.

This new Oregon law is the biggest victory for greyhound advocates since Florida voted to end dog racing in 2018. It will effectively ban most internet betting on dog racing in the United States, because bets from across the country are funneled through the so-called Oregon hubs.
“This new Oregon law is the biggest victory for greyhound advocates since Florida voted to end dog racing in 2018. It will effectively ban most internet betting on dog racing in the United States, because bets from across the country are funneled through the so-called Oregon hubs,” Carey Theil, executive director of GREY2K USA Worldwide, a non-profit that campaigns for greyhound protection.
“The walls are closing in on the last remnants of greyhound racing in America,” he added.

Diminishing Sport

Betting on greyhound races in the Oregon ADW system shrank by 38% between 2021 and 2023. Three Oregon-licensed ADWs have stopped offering greyhound wagering altogether since 2022.

Five states — Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire — have banned betting on dog races since 2022. Greyhound racing is now illegal in 43 states and exists at only two tracks in West Virginia.

Delaware North, which owns the two tracks, says it wants to end racing, which makes little profit, but must continue as a condition of its casino licenses. In 2022, the operator said it would support legislation that allowed it to offer gaming without racing.