Greyhound Racing in the UK

22 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 nineteen licensed tracks in England and Scotland. There are also three 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 is one track in Northern Ireland, which is 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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Per the 2017 IGB Business Model Analysis, approximately 83% of greyhounds racing in the United Kingdom are Irish-bred.¹ 6,250 greyhounds are exported to Britain from Ireland each year.² In regards to greyhounds bred in the United Kingdom, a total of 163 litters of greyhounds were born in Great Britain in 2019.³

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.

Between 2017 and 2018, 9,800 greyhound injuries were documented, including 499 track fatalities. An additional 1,533 greyhounds were reported euthanized for other reasons such as treatment costs or being designated as unsuitable for rehoming. ⁵

Wagering on greyhound racing is legal in the United Kingdom. From April 2018 through March 2019, the turnover (or amount wagered) on off-course, on-course and pool betting on dog races was around £1.6 billion.⁶

Learn more about dog racing in other countries

Read our International Fact Sheet (PDF)

Will greyhounds disappear if racing is banned? (Alliance Against Greyhound Racing)

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.