- West Virginia is the last state in the U.S. where live commercial greyhound racing is still active. The practice remains inactively legal in five other states including Alabama, Iowa, Kansas, Texas, and Wisconsin.
- The only active racetracks are Wheeling Island Hotel Casino & Racetrack and Mardi Gras Casino & Resort.
- The Greyhound Protection Act of 2025 (H.R. 5017), introduced by Representative Salud O. Carbajal, would ban commercial greyhound racing nationwide.
WHEELING, W. Va. – A new bipartisan federal bill aims to bring an end to greyhound racing nationwide. This move would shut down the last two active live-dog racing tracks in the United States, both located in West Virginia.
- Wheeling Island Hotel Casino in Wheeling
- Mardi Gras Casino & Resort in Nitro
In August 2025, representative Salud Carbajal introduced H.R. 5017, or the Greyhound Protection Act of 2025. This law would ban commercial greyhound racing, simulcast wagering, live lure training, and other activities in West Virginia and across the U.S., with criminal penalties of up to seven years imprisonment for violations.
“Greyhound racing is cruel, inhumane, and unpopular with the American public- which is why nearly every state has already voted to outlaw it. As a member of the Animal Protection Caucus, I’m proud to stand with colleagues from both sides of the aisle to… finally put an end to this brutal practice,” said Representative Carbajal.
The bill targets concern for greyhound welfare, citing injuries and deaths among greyhounds, including broken bones, paralysis, head traumas, and seizures. Although the federal bill will override state law, much of the legal pressure remains in West Virginia, where past efforts to end or reduce this legal sports betting method have been met with legislative resistance and executive vetoes.
Earlier this year, bills HB3235 and SB 753 were introduced to decouple live dog racing from the requirement for casinos to maintain racing. In previous years, bills to redirect funding from the Greyhound Breeding Development Fund were proposed.
The state generates $15-$17 million annually in subsidies for greyhound racing via the fund. This helps support payouts and breeding operations and attempts to end or change the casino-racing linkage have stalled under political resistance, veto threats, or legislative inertia.
If H.R. 5017 becomes law, it would override state statutes and ban live greyhound racing nationwide by October 1, 2027. In the meantime, West Virginia legislators may continue to introduce “decoupling” bills to allow casinos to operate without live racing.
