Next year will mark the 100th year anniversary of modern greyhound racing’s practice as a sport in the UK, though its status is set to be diminished with a ban in one of the four home nations.
While the sport celebrates, the Welsh government’s push to ban greyhound racing is moving through the Senedd, the nation’s parliament. Amendments to the bill have been approved by an overwhelming majority of legislators.
Introduced by Huw Irranca-Davies, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs in the Welsh Labour government, the general principles of the Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill were agreed upon last week.
The bill is progressing through the second stage, during which it undergoes committee scrutiny, after its amendments were approved by 36 of the Senedd’s 50 members, with three abstaining and 11 voting against. The final approval of the bill, upon passing the remaining stages, is looking almost certain.
What impact this will have on the betting sector is hard to determine. There is only one regulated greyhound track in Wales regulated by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), the Valley Greyhound Stadium in Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly.
Greyhound racing’s financial significance to the betting industry has also been declining, with Gambling Commission stats for April 2023-March 2024 showing betting shop turnover of £794m from the sport.
Horse racing, in contrast, saw gross gaming yield (GGY) of £771.1m from online channels alone during the same period, and will have contributed a significant chunk of the total GGY from betting shops of £2.5bn. Both are dwarfed by football betting, however, which accounts for nearly 50% of total sports betting volume in the UK.
The impact of the bill will be felt most by local bookmakers, such as on-course ones at the Valley Greyhound Stadium and perhaps by independent bookies and chain shops in the wider area.
Perhaps a more long-lasting impact will be a symbolic one, showing the continuing decline of what was once one of the UK’s biggest betting sports, as well as a general trend of political hostility towards the gaming space and other related fields.
Welsh greyhound racing ban passing hurdles
Once the second stage is completed, the bill will head for plenary scrutiny in the third stage, when it will be debated in the main chamber of the Senedd. Members will be able to table and vote on further amendments, and it is possible it will meet more opposition there.
There may be further stages after this depending on what amendments are tabled, but from what we have seen during the second stage, it seems that the bill has the broad support of Members of the Senedd (MS). The odds of it progressing to and securing approval in the final vote are looking favourable.
The legislative plan is for the bill to be implemented by the Welsh government ‘no sooner than’ 1 April 2027, and no later than 1 April 2030. This timeframe has been chosen to give ‘sufficient time’ for the industry and local communities to manage any impacts, which as stated above will most likely be felt in the Ystrad Mynach area.
Addressing Senedd Committee members yesterday, Deputy First Minister Irranca-Davies explained the rationale behind the bill. As explained earlier in the year, the Welsh government’s main priority is animal welfare.
“This bill shows we are a progressive nation committed to ethical standards, animal welfare and forward thinking legislation,” he said. “It strengthens Wales’ reputation as leading in animal welfare standards, and this topic has been a campaign in focus for many members of the Senate across all parties for many years.”
As with various types of regulation, particularly relating to the gambling industry and adjacent sectors, concerns about the black market have been raised around the Welsh government’s plan to ban the sport.
Concerns have focused on what will happen to Welsh racing dogs once the sport is banned, and how aftercare for them will be arranged. There are also concerns that the sport may be driven underground, creating a new black market.
However, the members of the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee reject this viewpoint. Delyth Jewell MS of Plaid Cymru, the Committee Chair, explained why.
“Opponents to a ban accepted that injuries to greyhounds occur, but they argued that welfare has improved under regulation, and warned of unintended consequences, such as racing moving underground or cross borders,” Jewell said.
“Supporters of the bill contended that these measures cannot address the inherent dangers of racing dogs around an oval track where high street collisions and catastrophic injuries are at times unavoidable.
“There is no amount of regulation to make the activity safe enough to protect greyhounds from predictable harm, and we emphasise that the available data on welfare measures and injury reporting is highly contested.”
Tough times on greyhound racing’s 100th birthday
Concerns remain, however. The Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee highlighted a need for more impact assessments, and argued that there may be unintended consequences as a result – though the government is confident it can mitigate any of them.
Gareth Davies, Welsh Conservative MS for the Vale of Clwyd, described the bill as ‘rushed’, and criticised the lack of consultations on its draft and the absence of any impact statements.
“Many such as myself would have liked a more in depth analysis of the economic and cultural impact on planning the sport,” he said. “As members of the Culture Committee, we saw evidence not just from campaigners, but from regulators, from those working in the industry and from communities directly affected.
“What became increasingly clear was that much of the case for this bill rests on outdated assumptions, selective evidence and a failure to properly engage with the current regulatory reality in Wales.”
As stated above, greyhound racing is preparing to celebrate its 100th birthday, with the mechanical method of coursing having first been adopted way back in 1926 and the first race under the modern format taking place at the now-defunct Belle Vue racetrack in Manchester.
As 2025 draws to a close, we’re looking ahead to the sport’s centenary next year.
In today’s @RPGreyhounds, Mark Moisley unveils some of GBGB’s plans including a special dinner to mark Centenary Day @DunstallDogs.#100YearsOnTrack. A century of greyhound racing.
Read more: pic.twitter.com/eFQ1k20q5C
— GBGB (@GreyhoundBoard) December 22, 2025
The sport is preparing a celebration of its history, including social media campaigns and exhibitions. However, next year will prove tough for the sport – not only is it facing a ban in Wales, but the Scottish government has also lent its support to a prohibition bill, and even further afield in New Zealand.
Additionally, the increase in Remote Gaming Duty (RGD) on online betting and gaming from 21% to 40% could have a knock on effect on a sport which relies so heavily on its commercial relationships with the betting industry for continued financial sustainability.