As of April 4, TVG, one of the country’s largest advance-deposit wagering (ADW) bookmakers, has stopped accepting bets for greyhound racing entirely. In an email to customers, the company cited an “upcoming legislation change” as the primary reason behind the decision.
Although it isn’t mentioned by name, the change mentioned is likely a reference to SB 1504, which is a bill that will take effect July 1 in Oregon. The bill will bar gaming operators from offering or accepting wagers on greyhound racing in the state. Even though there haven’t been live races in Oregon since 2004, SB 1504 still signals a big blow to greyhound bettors and enthusiasts nationwide.
Thanks in part to advantageous tax incentives, Oregon is known as a “multijurisdictional hub” for ADW bookmakers that offer parimutuel betting, or pool betting. This means that a large percentage of greyhound wagers from around the U.S. are processed through the state hub–North Dakota is currently the only other jurisdiction with this designation.
Even though this move signals another blow to the shrinking greyhound racing industry, it likely won’t have huge business ramifications for TVG. According to industry experts, greyhound racing bets likely only accounted for 1 percent or less of the company’s handle.
So far, the bill has drawn support from animal rights advocates across the country, including Carey Theil, who is the director of GREY2K USA Worldwide, an anti-racing organization. Theil hailed the passage of SB 1504 as “good news for everyone who cares about dogs,” and that “the end of greyhound racing across all these sectors” is not far away.
Theil also expressed ire at the other ADW bookmakers who are not following TVG’s lead–after the bill was originally introduced, it was significantly amended in its greyhound-related provisions, and many feel that these changes were the result of aggressive lobbying on behalf of other ADW gaming companies.
