“Dog racing is a thing of the past”
October 22nd, 2008 by admin
Our quote of the week (above) comes from Pat Biddix, general manager of the Melbourne Greyhound Park. It’s no secret that greyhound racing in Florida is a dying sport (quite literally for racing dogs). But it’s a little surprising to hear so blunt of an assessment from inside the racing industry.
In an article in Monday’s Florida Today, Biddix explained how poker, casinos and online gambling have lured away their customers and costs associated with live racing- everything from fuel for the tractors that maintain the track, to hiring the track veterinarian- have “skyrocketed.” The article noted that greyhound racing revenue at the Melbourne track has plummeted from $918,213 in 2005 to $484,642 in 2006 to $364,381 in 2007!