Wales and Scotland to ban greyhound racing
The greyhound racing bans will impact on independent and on-course bookmakers.
UK.- The proposed bans on greyhound racing in Wales and Scotland are to go ahead after lawmakers approved the proposals within one day of each other. The Senedd voted in favour of a proposed ban on greyhound racing in Wales yesterday, while Scottish MPs today voted 70 to 27 in favour of The Greyhound Racing (Offences) (Scotland) Bill, with 19 abstentions.
The move comes in what the centenary year for regulated greyhound racing in Great Britain, marking 100 years since the first meeting at Belle Vue, Manchester, on July 24, 1926. The sport was traditionally popular for betting but has been criticised on animal welfare grounds.
In its statement, the Senedd declared: “The Bill reflects a clear policy choice: that the injuries, fatalities, and poor post-racing outcomes associated with greyhound racing can no longer be justified. Despite efforts within the industry, harm to greyhounds has remained a consistent reality.”
Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies, who sponsored the legislation, said that Wales, as a “progressive nation,” had a responsibility to uphold its reputation as a leader in animal welfare, delivering standards “that people in Wales rightly expect.”
Welsh greyhound racing transition plans
The Welsh ban will take effect on April 1 2027, with a transition period extending to April 1 2030. The phased approach is designed to allow the industry to wind down, ensure retired greyhounds are rehomed, and give authorities time to adapt.
Currently, the Valley Greyhound Stadium in Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly, is the only licensed track in Wales. As such, Independent bookmakers and on-course betting operations are expected to be hit hardest by the ban.
Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) Chief Executive Mark Bird criticised the legislation, stating: “This Bill has disgraced the ethical and legislative processes from start to finish.” He claims the Welsh Government ignored officials’ advice, dismissed two critical cross-party committee reports, and pressed ahead despite an ongoing judicial review.
Bird warned that the ban would devastate jobs, family businesses and local communities, highlighting the Valley Greyhound Stadium’s £2m investment in veterinary, kennelling and track facilities. He insisted that trainers and kennel staff demonstrate genuine care for their animals and pledged to continue fighting the legislation in court.
Opposition voices also criticised the consultation process. Gareth Davies, Conservative MS for the Vale of Clwyd, remarked: “Much of the case for this bill rests on outdated assumptions, selective evidence and a failure to properly engage with the current regulatory reality in Wales.”
In the case of Scotland, the ban on greyhound racing is mainly symbolic since Halcrow Stadium in Gretna closed in 2017 and Thornton Stadium in Fife suspended operations indefinitely in 2025, leaving no active racing tracks. However, Scotland did previously have a history of greyhound racing, including at the Hawick Target Hill Greyhound Track between 1939 and 1967 and Albert Park, home of Hawick Royal Albert Football Club, between 1989 and 1999.
Animal welfare groups such as the RSPCA continue to call for a ban across the entire UK, but British sports and culture secretary Lisa Nandy has previously stressed that there are “absolutely no plans” for a ban in England, arguing the sport is well-regulated and brings economic benefits.
Elsewhere, New Zealand is also phasing out greyhound racing, which leaves England, Northern Ireland, Australia and Ireland and the United States as the last redoubts for the sport. However, in the US, greyhound racing is banned in 44 states and is only active in West Virginia.
