The Welsh government has announced a plan to ban greyhound racing, making Wales the first country in the UK to introduce such a measure.
This decision was made after a public consultation, where nearly two-thirds of respondents supported the phased ban of the sport. A petition calling for the ban in Wales also received over 35,000 signatures.
Deputy Chief Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said: "A petition to ban greyhound racing in Wales has received over 35,000 signatures. This activity is carried out in conjunction with the Cut the Chase campaign, which includes Blue Cross, Dogs Trust, Welsh Greyhound Rescue, Hope Rescue, and RSPCA."
Irranca-Davies added that an implementation group will be established to oversee the enforcement of the ban and assess its impact on industry professionals.
Good news: The statement was criticized by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), which believes the ban is politically motivated rather than based on evidence of welfare issues.
GBGB Chief Executive Mark Bird said: "This statement has nothing to do with greyhound welfare and is entirely due to pressure from extreme animal rights movements. The Welsh government's own 'Consultation Response Summary' emphasizes the lack of evidence supporting the ban of this sport."
In the upcoming December issue of "Gambling Insider," a sports betting focus journal, we talked with Bird about New Zealand's ban on greyhound racing.
This move casts doubt on the future of Wales' only licensed track, Valley Greyhound Stadium, which was licensed under GBGB rules in August 2023 and began operating under these regulations in November.
Event initiator Dave Buckley stated that he was unaware of this decision until the government announced it and questioned the consultation process. He also mentioned that economic compensation might be necessary if the government continues to implement the ban.
A spokesperson for the Gambling and Gaming Commission commented: "The Welsh government's announcement of a ban on greyhound racing has deeply disappointed the Gambling and Gaming Commission and its members. Greyhound racing is a working-class sport enjoyed by thousands, and this severe measure will lead to unemployment, economic damage, and deprive people of a long-standing legal source of joy.
"We are also concerned that this decision is not based on evidence but to satisfy activists. Members of the British Greyhound Association are proud to support greyhound racing and donate substantial funds for the welfare of dogs. Last year alone, our members voluntarily donated over 7 million pounds (approximately 8.8 million dollars) to the British Greyhound Fund for greyhound welfare."
This decision was made against the backdrop of a broader discussion on gambling regulation and welfare policies in Wales. In 2022, the Welsh Department of Public Health commissioned a report on gambling harms, highlighting gaps in treatment services and limited public awareness of existing support systems. Scholars from Swansea University have also called for the establishment of an NHS-supported gambling harm reduction service in Wales, citing rising gambling participation rates.
The Welsh government has not yet provided a timetable for the implementation of the ban but stated that it will proceed as soon as possible.
The reactions of industry stakeholders and further legislative developments will determine the next phase of this policy implementation.
