Two greyhound racetracks in West Virginia—Mardi Gras Casino and Resort and Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack, both owned by Delaware North—could face a final reckoning if the U.S. Congress passes the Greyhound Protection Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-California on July 29. The bill would amend the Wire Act to prohibit gambling on commercial greyhound races.
Cardenas said, “Greyhound racing is cruel and must end. My bill allows for a sensible wind-down of an already-declining industry that will ultimately outlaw greyhound racing. As a longtime animal welfare advocate, I am committed to always speaking up for the voiceless.” So far, Cardenas’ bill only has one co-sponsor. Observers said it’s unlikely it will make it to the House floor for a vote.
Cardenas, a member of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, has introduced several bills over the years to limit the kinds of animals used in research, raise penalties for animal cruelty in interstate commerce, crack down on exotic animal poaching and uphold the Endangered Species Act.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. David McKinley, R-West Virginia, said the West Virginia legislature should determine the future of greyhound racing, not the federal government. “The state should hold the authority to decide if greyhound racing should continue. This really isn’t a federal issue. In recent years there has been a vigorous debate in the West Virginia legislature about the future of greyhound racing. Given the potential impact on West Virginia jobs and our local economy, that is the appropriate venue for this discussion,” McKinley said.
According to the 2014 report by West Virginia University, West Virginia’s greyhound racing industry provides more than 1,700 jobs and produces more than $31 million for Ohio and Kanawha counties and $413,000 in state and local taxes.
In 2007, voters in Ohio and Kanawha counties approved table games at Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island as long as the casinos offered racing. However, between 2014 and 2018, in-person wagering fell by 13 percent at the two racetracks. However, over the same 5-year period, total handle increased by 19 percent, from $105.8 million in 2014 to $126.3 million in 2018, mostly due to export handle, which accounted for 78 percent of total handle for the two racetracks in 2018. Observers attribute the handle increase to the drop in the number of U.S. greyhound racetracks, sending more out-of-state bettors to wager on West Virginia races.
According to GREY2K, Gulf Greyhound Park, the last remaining greyhound track in Texas, shut down in July and the Birmingham Race Course, Alabama’s last remaining track, closed in April. In 2018, Florida voters passed a constitutional amendment to end greyhound racing by the end of 2019, leading to the closure of 11 racetracks. Florida was the first state to legalize greyhound racing in 1931.
Earlier this year, GREY2K supported Senate Bill 285 which would have eliminated the West Virginia Greyhound Breeding Development Fund by ending the transfer of table game and video lottery wagers to the fund. The bill also would have used the remaining money in fund to retrain greyhound industry workers, promote adoption of racing greyhounds and provide a one-time $500 tax credit for West Virginians who adopted greyhounds. The state would have gained $17.4 million in revenue if the breeding fund was eliminated, according to a fiscal note.
Governor Jim Justice vetoed a similar bill in 2017. However, SB 285 died in the state Senate in February in a 11-23 vote.
GREY2K Executive Director Carey Theil said, “Momentum is building for a national phase-out of greyhound racing. Since the end of the legislative session, dogracing has ended in two more states, and West Virginia will soon be the last state to sanction the activity.
“According to state records, more than 9,000 greyhound injuries have been reported at Mardi Gras and Wheeling since 2008, including 3,254 dogs that suffered broken bones and 420 greyhounds that died. Greyhounds also endure lives of confinement, and some dogs are trained by being given small animals to tear apart.”
