Greyhound Racing Betting: Is It Still Legal?

Greyhound racing is well past its peak, there are still sites where you can bet on dog racing.

Greyhound racing is in decline due to anti-greyhound racing legislation, with many states opting to flat-out ban racetracks. However, you can still bet on daily races online in the US via licensed racing books.

In this article, we will show you the best legal US greyhound racing betting sites and different bet types, explain how it works, and pontificate on the ethics and future of this controversial sport.

Greyhound Racing Betting Sites

The best greyhound racing betting sites, in our opinion, are AmWager and TwinSpires. Both advance deposit wagering operators are fully licensed, have a long history of providing excellent services, offer secure payment methods, and have tons of live greyhound racing action from around the world!

AmWager

AmWager has been offering greyhound betting since 2009 and legally operates in many US states. AmWagers offers extensive greyhound racing markets featuring daily events broadcast live from hundreds of racetracks all over the world!

AmWager has a wide range of bonuses, including cashback, a great VIP program, and a deposit match bonus.

Twinspires

TwinSpires launched in 1996, and they are run by Churchill Downs Inc., the parent company of the Kentucky Derby. Withdrawals are typically processed within 24 hours.

TwinSpires is famous for its greyhound racing markets., and you can make all of your favorite bets online, plus the Parimutuel pools are massive!

At Twinspires you can take advantage of frequent promotions and live stream incredible races from racetracks around the world and bet on greyhound races any day of the week!

Is Greyhound Racing Betting Legal?

Greyhound racing is illegal in 42 US states, and races are only held in West Virginia. However, even if you reside in a state where it is banned, you can still legally bet on races held elsewhere online.

Off-track greyhound racing betting is legal in:

Greyhound racing has attracted a lot of controversy due to animal cruelty concerns by many legislators and animal rights groups. Numerous cruel practices have been uncovered, such as excessive culling of dogs that don’t meet race standards, injuries, deaths, and dogs being kept in tiny cages for lengthy periods.

Greyhound racing is still legal in West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Texas, and Wisconsin. Currently, West Virginia is the only state that has an active racetrack and has events that you can bet on. The last two greyhound race tracks in the US are the Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack and the Mardi Gras Casino & Resort Racetrack.

How Does Greyhound Racing Betting Work?

To get started with greyhound racing betting online, you first need to create an account at a licensed racebook. The sign-up process is easy; share some basic personal information and create a password. Once you are signed up, deposit and take advantage of any welcome bonuses.

Once your account is verified and loaded with funds, pop over to the betting markets and tap on greyhound racing. Then, select a race, a bet type, enter your stake, and confirm your bet.

Greyhound racing is a form of pari-mutuel wagering which is also known as pool betting. How it works is that the players’ money is pooled together, the racebook then takes out their commission, and the winnings are distributed among the winners. The odds are finalized after betting pools close and the racebook has taken its cut. Here is an example, let’s say there are 6 dogs running in a race, and the racebook takes the following action on each dog:

Dog 1 – $200
Dog 2 – $600
Dog 3 – $1000
Dog 4 – $500
Dog 5 – $300
Dog 6 – $1200

The racebook then charges a fee, for example, 10% on the total money in the pool leaving $3420 left in the pool (0.9 times $3800). To calculate greyhound racing betting odds, you then divide the prize pool by the amount wagered on each dog.

The payouts for the race would be:

Dog 1 – 17.1
Dog 2 – 5.7
Dog 3 – 3.42
Dog 4 – 6.84
Dog 5 – 11.4
Dog 6 – 2.85

The odds represent your total payout. For example, if you bet $100 on Dog 6, you would receive $285 and $185 profit. In pari-mutuel betting, you are wagering against other bettors rather than the house.

Types Of Greyhound Racing Bets

If you are familiar with horse racing betting, you will immediately recognize the common types of greyhound bets. However, if you are new to the world of animal racing, then some of these markets may be new to you.

Straight Bets

A straight bet simply means you are betting on a single dog to do one thing, such as win a race or place in the top three. Here are the most popular greyhound racing straight bets:

Win – You place cash on a particular dog, and if they win the race, your bet payout. This is a great bet if you are new to greyhound betting.
Place – If you want to reduce your risk, you can make a place bet, this is where you bet on a dog to come top 2. It doesn’t matter if they come first or second, your bet still wins.
Show – With a show wager, you are betting on a greyhound to place in the top 3 of a race. This is a great bet if you are risk-averse. You will have a very high win percentage if you bet on strong race favorites to show.
Across The Board – In this unique greyhound racing bet, you make a win, place and show bet all at the same time. If the dog comes in first place, you win all 3 bets, if they come second, you win the place and show bet, but if they only come third, you only win the show bet.

Exotic Bets

An exotic greyhound racing bet involves betting on multiple dogs. These wagers can involve dogs from the same race or spread across different events. Here are the most popular greyhound racing exotics bets:

Quinella – With a quinella, you bet on two dogs coming first and second. It doesn’t matter which order they finish the race if you still win. This bet is far riskier than a standard win bet but offers much higher odds.
Exacta – This is similar to a quinella wager, except you need to get the order correct. If you bet on Dog A to come first and Dog B to come second, but Dog B wins, and Dog A comes second, your bet won’t payout.
Trifecta – If you want to chase even more competitive odds, you can predict which dogs will place top 3 and their exact order with a trifecta bet. This is extremely difficult to do, so don’t risk too much of your bankroll!
Superfecta – A superfecta is like a trifecta on steroids! You need to predict which dogs will place top 4 and get all of their exact placings correct.
Daily Double – With a daily double, you need to predict the winners in 2 separate races. Traditionally this wager is offered on the very first 2 races of the day.
Pick 3 – This is like a daily double, except you need to predict the winners of 3 different greyhound races on the same day.
Jackpots – This is a progressive jackpot in which you win by picking 6 first-place winners on the same day. The jackpot continues to swell until someone finally picks all 6.
Parlays – Parlays is where you combine multiple greyhound racing bets into one bet slip. For example, you could make 2 show bets and a 1 win bet. Your wager only pays out if all of your bets are winners.
Boxing Your Bets – Boxing your bets refers to betting dogs in multiple combinations, so you win exactas, trifectas, and superfectas irrespective of the order of the dogs.
Keying Your Bets – Keying your bets is similar to boxing, except you bet on one dog to finish in a certain position, usually first, and then bet on multiple combinations of dogs around your key dog. Keying is cheaper than boxing but is riskier because if your key dog doesn’t come in the place you predict, your whole bet will fall apart.

Live Streaming Greyhound Races

An exciting part of greyhound racing betting is tuning into the race in real time, and greyhound racing betting apps offer free live streams from racetracks across the world. This adds an interactive element to betting and a whole new level of thrill.

Greyhound Betting Bonuses

To attract new bettors and reward loyal customers, greyhound racing betting sites frequently offer new promotions and bonus offers. We recommend using these promos to reduce your risk.

How Does Greyhound Racing Work?

Greyhound racing is similar to horse racing but features dogs instead of horses. In greyhound racing, dogs run around an oval lap over a set distance, typically around 550 yards, and whichever dog crosses the line first wins.

At the start of the race, the dogs are placed in enclosed boxes. Then the race marshall opens the dogs’ gates simultaneously. As the gates open, an artificial lure attached to the railing flies past, and the dogs take off in pursuit of the lure. The dogs will often keep running after the race is over and need to be stopped by their handlers.

Greyhounds are the dog of choice thanks to their natural sprinting abilities. A greyhound can run 100m in 5.33 and reach speeds of up to 72 km/h! They can even beat horses over short distances thanks to their incredible acceleration. Greyhounds were originally bred to hunt hares and small game based on sight. That is why they are so responsive to the artificial lure and as soon as they see it will immediately start sprinting all out.

Greyhound Racing Tracks in the US

Even though greyhound racing is legal in 8 US states, West Virginia is the only state with active dog tracks. West Virginia has two greyhound tracks:

Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack – They have live dog races 5 days a week featuring up to 20 races each. When they don’t have live races, they simulcast events from across the world. Wheeling Island Casino doesn’t just have a live greyhound track, but they also have over 1000 slots, table games, a classy hotel, numerous dining options, and even a comedy club!
Mardi Gras Casino & Resort Racetrack – The Mardi Gras Casino is loaded with excitement and features live greyhound racing, poker, and slots. They feature 4 restaurants, including a sports bar which is meant to have some tasty burgers. The Mardi Gras racetrack is open 7 days a week. From Tuesday through Saturday, they have live races and simulcast racing daily. You must be 21 years old to attend and bet on the races.

Don’t hold your breath for any more racetracks to be built because the whole greyhound industry is under intense pressure from animal rights groups to shut up shop. We would love to see the over/under odds on greyhound racing existing in the US within the next 10 years.

Industry Concerns

Greyhound racing is a very controversial sport, and serious animal cruelty has been uncovered. Here are some of the key concerns animal rights groups have about greyhound racing:

Culling of dogs – Greyhound owners are legally able to kill dogs that don’t meet racing standards. The result is thousands are perfectly happy, and healthy dogs who just don’t happen to be fast enough are killed.
Injuries – Serious injuries are extremely common in greyhound racing. A recent study found that 21% of dogs suffered an injury over 3 months of racing. Common injuries include broken legs, necks, toes, spinal cord paralysis, and cardiac arrest.
Mistreatment of dogs – From 2018-2015, over 20 cases of serious animal neglect have been uncovered. Keeping dogs locked in tiny cages for 20 + hours a day is common, and owners will often starve dogs and deny them proper medical care. There have even been cases of owners giving their dogs drugs and steroids in a bid to improve their performance.

The overall greyhound racing industry in the US is in serious decline. Between 2001 and 2014, the amount gambled on greyhound racing in America fell by 70%. Also, revenue from greyhound racing declined by over 80% over the same period. The industry is now very small and only generates $13 million per year across the whole country.

Will Greyhound Racing Get Banned in the US?

It seems likely that greyhound racing will get banned in the US within the next 20 years. The average American is becoming much more sensitive to animal welfare issues, and nowadays, many people view their dogs as family members. Also, greyhound racing has been in serious decline for years, it is an outdated sport that is not nearly as deeply entrenched in the culture as horse racing. Americans 35 and under simply aren’t interested in greyhound racing and would much rather tune into and bet on a basketball or football game.

Animal rights groups have already successfully gotten 42 US states to outlaw greyhound racing, and there are only 2 active racetracks in the entire country, both located in West Virginia. It seems very unlikely that any new racetracks will be built as they would be targeted by activists, and the political blowback would be too strong.

Summary

Greyhound racing is legal to bet on in the US, but races have been banned in 42 US states, and West Virginia is the only state that hosts events. The sport is in serious decline due to concerns related to animal cruelty, as thousands of dogs are culled every year if they don’t meet racing standards also, catastrophic injuries and animal neglect are common.

Despite some bettors being turned off the sport, there are still exciting daily races in the US and hundreds of events across the world which you can bet online on at AmWager, a leading licensed racebook in the US. They have excellent mobile-optimized sites, and HD simulcasts from over 500 race tracks across the world, including West Virginia, and always have amazing promos.

Alex Windsor