CROATIA CASINO INFO

History of Greyhound Racing

Because there is a fast, sleek, and swift dog that can run as fast as 35 miles an hour, gamblers thought to breed them not to hunt them rabbits anymore but to race them. Before, this sport was condemned for killing jack rabbits (considered as lures) at the end of each race. But in 1912, Owen Patrick Smith invented an artificial hare that circled oval tracks, which greyhounds chased around. After that, the game shot to popularity. Thousands people were making their way toward the grandstand, thanks to the excitement of the sport and the payoff it offers.

Greyhound racing in the United States employed pari-mutuel betting (or mutual betting) as an on-course gambling system in the 1920s. Great Britain first got a taste of greyhound racing in 1926, when the mechanical hares of smith received patents. International Greyhound Racing Association (In.G.R.A) held their first British race in Belle Vue in Manchester. The game was popular in every city in United Kingdom wherever the race was held. In fact, in 1927, there were already forty greyhound racetracks.

At that time, the sport was often gambled into and watched by the male-working class because racing establishment were usual located in cities. Also, it was popular with businessmen from various social and cultural backgrounds. It was the betting that pulled audiences on the racetracks, by on-course bookmakers and "tote boards". Soon enough it became the second most popular pari-mutuel game after horse-racing.

After the Second World War, greyhound racing enjoyed a ridiculous attendance of about 34 million - all of whom paid to watch the race. However, at the onset of the 60s, the sport experienced a decline since there Betting and Gaming Act now allowed off-course betting. Consequently, this led to a drop of television coverage. On-course facilities had to abolish tax payments to invite patrons back.

Today, Greyhound Racing thrives in countries like the United States, Great Britain, Ireland and Australia. Care for the greyhounds has been the issue over the sport. However, in the United States, the sport isn't checked by Animal Welfare Act. Treatment of the dogs depends mostly on industry's own regulations. Still, dogs spend most of the time in kennels than the race tracks. Most tracks have their own rules on the welfare of the greyhounds. Kennel owners should include in their priority, the welfare of their dogs. If not, they would lose all their privileges in the track and even their licenses to race.