Greyhound Racing in Australia

66 Tracks

The Australian greyhound racing industry consists of eight different state and territory governing bodies.¹These bodies are responsible for regulating the greyhound racing activities at the clubs in their areas. There are 67 racing clubs in the country that race at 66 different greyhound tracks.² Representatives from each of the state and territory bodies make up Greyhounds Australasia, the national supporting body for greyhound racing in Australia and New Zealand. In 2015, a total of 40,978 greyhound races were held throughout Australia.³ Races take place at different times and dates based on the club.

A majority of the greyhounds racing in Australia were bred in the country. In 2015, there were 3,006 litters of greyhounds registered in Australia.⁴ There are 261 breeding kennels in Australia listed on greyhound-data.com, an online database maintained by dog racing gamblers.⁵

Each governing state and territory body has its own set of racing rules that include regulations regarding registrations for dogs, clubs and individuals, race meeting requirements and policies on doping.⁶ Greyhounds Australasia also has a set of regulations; however, the rules of local controlling bodies take precedence over them.⁷

Betting on greyhound races is legal in Australia. In the last five years, total wagering, or “turnover,” on Australian races rose from $1.7 billion in 2012 to over $4.1 billion in 2016.⁸ Seventy-five percent of Australian turnover in 2016 came from the states of Victoria and New South Wales.⁹

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