Greyhound racing increase in Wales ‘due to streaming and betting’

The GBGB said the increased activity at Valley Stadium was “about a previously unlicensed track – which had no formal safeguards in place around welfare – becoming regulated in Wales”.

It said the track welcomed a “strong, local core of racing enthusiasts who appreciate and enjoy the sport, and importantly, value the measures now in place to protect welfare”.

“There is a vet on site at all times, a national network of experts offering advice and visiting trainers’ residential kennels, and an extensive set of rules that ensure racing has the highest standards of welfare and integrity,” a spokesperson added.

They said it was because of those standards that “we are proud to uphold that British licensed greyhound racing remains a popular product of choice for broadcasters here and globally – something which… contributes £166 million to the British economy”.

“Online betting on sport involving animals is something that cuts across horseracing, greyhound racing and other sports,” they added.

The spokesperson said that if its approach to improving the welfare of greyhound racing by regulating a previously unlicensed track was worthy of “scrutiny and criticism, then the BBC’s multimillion-pound spend on horseracing is likewise in the dock”.

Valley Racetrack declined to comment.

A spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council, the standards body for the regulated UK betting and gaming industry, said: “We welcome the significant improvement in facilities and standards at the Valley.

“Last year, industry sponsorship for greyhound racing totalled £30,000 while in the same year, our members voluntarily donated over £7m to the British Greyhound Racing Fund for the welfare of greyhounds.”