Greyhound industry ready to retire to Florida
July 1st, 2009 by admin
Not too long ago, fans of the sport of jai alai could watch, and gamble on, games in several states across the country, but interest declined and jai alai frontons can now only be found in Florida. America’s greyhound racing industry will likely also spend its waning years in Florida.
Today, a bill takes effect that will allow New Hampshire’s two greyhound racing tracks to continue simulcast gambling without live racing. The tracks are expected to end greyhound racing immediately. A representative for one of the tracks said the decision to end racing was not a hard one, “It costs a lot more money to run live racing than we get from it,” he said.
The move leaves greyhound racing tracks operational in just nine states, and that number may soon shrink even further (last week, the owners of Rhode Island’s only dog track filed for bankruptcy protection).
There are more tracks in Florida (13) than any other state in the country; the greyhound racing industry will most likely make its last stand in Florida. The end can’t come too soon for the thousands of greyhounds each year who are injured while racing, who spend much of their short lives in small cages, and for those who will be killed when they are no longer profitable. Visit ARFF’s website to learn more about greyhound racing.