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With Huckabee Sanders’ signature, Arkansas became the 44th state in America to ban the sport, which has been widely criticized due to concerns about animal welfare. It became the sixth state to outlaw simulcasting after Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
“Greyhound advocates everywhere applaud Governor Huckabee Sanders for signing this important bill,” said Christine A. Dorchak, President and General Counsel of GREY2K USA, an advocacy group for greyhound protection. “Arkansas will join 43 other states that have already rejected this outdated and inhumane form of gambling.”
In its heyday in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Southland track, as the only gambling venue in the Mid-South, would attract 10,000 to 12,000 regular racegoers. But with the rise in alternative opportunities to gamble and concerns about the treatment of race dogs, the sport has lost its appeal across the US.
State records indicate that 568 greyhounds were injured in 2023 at these two venies, including 181 dogs that suffered broken bones. Nine greyhounds died, GREY2K USA reports.
With Huckabee Sanders’ signature, Arkansas became the 44th state in America to ban the sport, which has been widely criticized due to concerns about animal welfare. It became the sixth state to outlaw simulcasting after Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
“Greyhound advocates everywhere applaud Governor Huckabee Sanders for signing this important bill,” said Christine A. Dorchak, President and General Counsel of GREY2K USA, an advocacy group for greyhound protection. “Arkansas will join 43 other states that have already rejected this outdated and inhumane form of gambling.”
Dwindling Popularity
Arkansas’ last greyhound track, Southland in West Memphis, officially ended dog racing in December 2022 after 66 years, as part of a phase-out agreement as it shifted its focus to casino gaming. Southland still offers simulcast betting and will have until 2028 to phase it out under the new law.In its heyday in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Southland track, as the only gambling venue in the Mid-South, would attract 10,000 to 12,000 regular racegoers. But with the rise in alternative opportunities to gamble and concerns about the treatment of race dogs, the sport has lost its appeal across the US.
State records indicate that 568 greyhounds were injured in 2023 at these two venies, including 181 dogs that suffered broken bones. Nine greyhounds died, GREY2K USA reports.
