Greyhound Racing in the UK

29 Tracks

Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom takes place on both licensed and independent tracks. The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) is the governing body for twenty-two licensed tracks in England and Scotland. There are also five independent "flapper" tracks that are not overseen by an industry body, but are instead licensed by the city and town councils in which they are located. Finally, there are two tracks in Northern Ireland, which are regulated by the Irish Coursing Club.

A dog falls at the Owlerton dog track in Sheffield. (Greyt Exploitations)

A greyhound kennel in Drumbeg, UK. (Greyhound-Data)

A greyhound mass burial site in the UK. (SWNS/Lincolnshire Echo)

Caged greyhounds at a breeding facility. (Caged NW)

Greyhounds at a Nottingham kennel. (Greyhound-Data)

Protesters at the Henlow greyhound track in England. (GREY2K USA Worldwide)

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At last count, approximately 83% of greyhounds racing in the United Kingdom are Irish-bred.¹ In 2008, there were 8,000 greyhounds exported to Britain from Ireland.² In regards to greyhounds bred in the United Kingdom, a total of 312 litters of greyhounds were born in Great Britain in 2012.³

The Greyhound Board of Great Britain implements the Rules of Racing which are applicable to all GBGB license holders in the UK. These rules include regulations for race meetings, licensing requirements and doping policies. The independent tracks in England are also subject to the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations, which were passed by Parliament in 2010.⁴ These regulations primarily deal with licensing requirements for the tracks. There are no racing greyhound specific laws in Northern Ireland.

Wagering on greyhound racing is legal in the United Kingdom. From October 2012 through September 2013, the turnover (or amount wagered) on off-course, on-course and pool betting on dog races was around £1.4 billion.⁵

Learn more about dog racing in other countries

Read our International Fact Sheet (PDF)

GREY2K USA Worldwide and the League Against Cruel Sports released the first report ever written on greyhound racing in Great Britain from a humane perspective.

Read the report to learn about greyhound racing in Britain from a humane perspective.