Oregon seeks to ban simulcast dog race betting, where is it still legal?
Once a crowd-pulling weekend ritual, greyhound racing dates back to the early 20th century. It combined the thrill of competition with the buzz of betting, creating an industry that thrived for decades. But times have changed. As society became more aware of animal rights and welfare, the spotlight turned harshly on the industry’s darker sides.
At its peak, the U.S. had more than 50 operational tracks, stretching from Florida to Arizona. Today, however, only West Virginia still hosts live races. The rest have either been banned, shut down, or abandoned, leaving behind ghost towns.
Simulcast greyhound racing
Simulcast betting enables you to bet on races happening elsewhere, such as live-streaming races in another country and placing bets in real time. This translates to betting without having a nearby track.
Even with the decline of live racing, 16 states continue to allow simulcast greyhound betting, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. However, not all states are maintaining this practice. Arizona, Arkansas, and New Hampshire are phasing out simulcast betting, with their bans already signed and sealed.
Oregon lawmakers are now attempting to follow suit with House Bill 3020, which seeks to ban all forms of betting on dog racing in the state. The bill has already cleared the House, and, on 17 April 2025, it passed unanimously through the Senate Labor and Business Committee.
Oregon’s controversial bill
would ban all greyhound betting — even simulcast. This includes shutting down Oregon’s ADW hubs from processing dog race bets. Eight ADW systems operate in Oregon. Two of them — AmWest and Twin Spires — allow greyhound wagers. The ban could hit them hard.
According to Connie Winn, director of the Oregon Racing Commission, this came straight from the top. “The governor asked me to do anything I can to stop taking greyhound wagers.”
Oregon stands to lose $2.3 million every two years from licensing and fees, with $450,000 of that affecting the state’s general fund. Lawmakers have already proposed companion bills to cover the gap. They’re prepared to “hold harmless” agencies like the ORC.
The case against greyhound racing
Despite accusations of cruelty, many people continue to enjoy betting on greyhound races. In 2023, 17.9 percent of online bets in Oregon were placed on dog races, making Oregon the third-highest state in the U.S. for greyhound bettors. Most of the races they watch come from West Virginia, Australia, the UK, and Ireland.
The group GREY2K USA has been a prominent advocate for dogs, drawing attention to issues such as injuries, drug use, and race-fixing at foreign tracks. They estimate that $144 million was wagered on simulcast greyhound racing through ADW hubs in Oregon and North Dakota in 2023.
Carey Theil, executive director of GREY2K USA, told committee members the most extensive ADW system in Oregon informed him it wouldn’t leave Oregon if HB3020 passed.
Theil said, “From our perspective, this is an industry that’s cruel and inhumane. I won’t belabour that point, but just to be clear, there are many injuries involved in this industry; the dogs endure lives of confinement, and there’s a ruthless training practice called live lure training in which greyhounds are given small animals to tear apart.”
An indicates that over 10,542 injuries were recorded at tracks where Oregonians placed bets. This statistic is difficult to overlook.
National greyhound association’s defence
Leslie Csokasy of the NGA argues that the injury rate is only 0.5 percent, asserting that her work demonstrates the dogs are well cared for. For some Off-Track Betting parlours, greyhound races contribute to 40 percent of their revenue. Losing this income could lead to closures or significant restructuring.
Csokasy stated, “Contrary to misconceptions, the risk of injury in greyhound racing remains extremely low, with an incident-free rate of 99.5 percent of individual starts. Eliminating this revenue stream would force these businesses to find alternative sources of income, which is not a simple or immediate solution.”
