Greyhound racing outlawed in Arkansas
The decision now marks Arkansas as one of 44 states within the US to prohibit the sport.
Key Points
- Arkansas Governor Huckabee Sanders signed a HB 1721, prohibiting greyhound racing statewide
- The move has been praised by protection groups such as Grey2k USA
- There are similar bills currently pending in a number of US states
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has signed a bill outlawing greyhound racing in the state, sparking praise from greyhound protection group Grey2k USA.
As such, this latest ruling makes Arkansas the 44th state to prohibit greyhound racing and the sixth to outlaw the sport since 2022 – alongside Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Further, House Bill 1721 also seeks to usher out simulcasting – or remote dog track gambling practices – by 2028.
Currently, greyhound racing is a fast-declining industry both in the US and around the world, with growing support for animal rights activism and consistently high injury and dog mortality rates causing issues for the practice worldwide. Indeed, this latest news comes within a matter of months of additional developments which have seen greyhound racing banned in New Zealand and Wales.
Commenting on this latest decision was Grey2k USA President and General Counsel Christine A. Dorchak, who said, “Greyhound advocates everywhere applaud Governor Huckabee Sanders for signing this important bill. Arkansas will join 43 other states that have already rejected this outdated and inhumane form of gambling.”
Good to know: Bills to prohibit gambling on greyhound racing in North Dakota, Oregon and Texas are also pending
Additional gambling news from Arkansas saw lawmakers seek to outlaw sweepstakes betting in the state last week, whilst simultaneously pushing for the regulation of iGaming for three land-based casinos.
This comes closely following a legal battle which saw voters in Arkansas approve plans to revoke Pope County’s casino license in November. Following on from this, Cherokee Nation Entertainment filed a lawsuit to challenge the decision, which was subsequently denied by federal Judge D. Price Marshall Jr.
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