Greyhound Racing in Arkansas

Southland Greyhound Park in West Memphis is the only operational dog track in Arkansas. Races are conducted year-round and in 2013, a total of 5,950 races were held.¹ As of June 2012, there were 1,200 greyhounds confined at the track.²

Caged dogs at Southland Greyhound Park in Arkansas. (Rachel Hogue)

Racing greyhound Jasmine falls during a race at Southland Greyhound Park. (Southland Greyhound Park)

An aerial view of the Southland Greyhound Park kennels. (Google Earth)

PreviousNext

Greyhound racing in Arkansas is regulated by the Arkansas Racing Commission. The Commission enforces the state's racing rules and regulations, which include provisions for racing procedures, licensing and duties of commission veterinarians.³

In 2013, the total amount wagered on live greyhound racing in the state was $18,376,901.10.⁴ This represents a decline of roughly forty-five percent since 2005, when the handle was $33.5 million.⁵ In October 2019, following years of financial losses and citing Florida's decisive vote to prohibit dog racing, the owners of Southland announced an immediate phase-out of greyhound racing, with the last races to be held in December 2022.⁶

Featured Arkansas Video

Learn more about dog racing in other U.S. states

Learn about dog racing around the world