Wales First UK Nation to Ban Greyhound Racing

Posted on: February 22, 2025, 11:32h. 

Last updated on: February 22, 2025, 11:32h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.
  • Welsh government announces greyhound racing ban
  • Move welcomed by animal rights groups
  • GBGB claims “lack of evidence” to support the ban

Wales will become the first UK country to ban greyhound racing – “as soon as practically possible,” the Welsh government announced this week.

Wales, Greyhound racing, ban
Greyhound’s racing at Wales’ last surviving commercial dog track, the Valley Stadium in Ystrad Mynach, South Wales. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Deputy first minister Huw Irranca-Davies told the Welsh parliament, the Senedd, on Tuesday that he had “listened to the strength of feeling” on the issue, and it was “the right time” to put an end to the sport.

A petition to end greyhound racing on the Senedd’s website garnered over 35,000 signatures. Meanwhile, almost two thirds of respondents to a consultation on a national model for animal welfare were in favor of a ban.

“There will be work to do in ensuring the dogs, their owners, and those involved in the industry around the racetrack, can wind down from this activity while still protecting the welfare of dogs currently within the industry, the local community, and the local economy,” Irranca-Davies cautioned.

Sport in Decline

Wales, which is similar in size to New Jersey, once boasted dozens of dog tracks. This was during the sport’s heyday from the 1920s to the 1960s, but many of these venues began to be closed from the 1970s onwards, as its popularity began to wane.

Today, the country has only one commercial greyhound-racing track, the Valley Stadium in Ystrad Mynach, South Wales.

The sport’s governing body, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), criticized the decision, claiming there was a “lack of evidence” to support the ban.

It had “nothing to do with greyhound welfare and everything to do with pressure from the extreme animal rights movement,” asserted chief executive Mark Bird.

“Valley Stadium’s licensing has brought significant welfare improvements, overseen by expert veterinarians and our national network of professionals,” Bird added. “Racing greyhounds receive more oversight and protection than many pet dogs across Wales.”

Growing Trend

Carey Theil of GREY2K USA Worldwide, an advocacy group for greyhound protection, told Casino.org he was delighted that Wales “has recognized the growing trend of dog track closures across multiple countries” and moved towards a ban.

We applaud all the tireless campaigners and lawmakers that made this possible. This development follows New Zealand’s December decision to implement a phased end to greyhound racing by 2026, and Mark Ruskell MSP’s Member’s Bill to prohibit dog racing in Scotland will be presented in the months ahead. Across the globe, the trend is with the greyhounds.”

Only nine countries around the world still allow commercial greyhound racing. Four of those are the UK nations. Some 109 greyhounds died at the UK’s 19 licensed tracks in 2023, while 4,238 more were injured, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).