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1. Betting On Greyhound Racing
2. Online Greyhound Betting Sites

Although physically racing greyhounds is banned in most US states, online greyhound betting is still legal in most of the US. There are a couple of reputable US-based online greyhound betting sites where you can place bets of all different odds on your favorite dogs.

In this guide, we’re going to give you the lowdown on the legality of greyhound racing, show you how to bet on dog races, explain how greyhound betting works, and explain all the different types of bet that you can place on greyhound races.

I hope you enjoy our greyhound betting guide!

Is Greyhound Racing Legal In the United States?

First things first, we need to talk about the law. Greyhound racing is a hot topic in the United States and remains controversial because some greyhounds are treated poorly by their owners. However, it’s worth noting that many greyhound trainers take good care of their dogs and rehome them once they’re too old to race any more.

Regardless, there are many legal restrictions in place.

Greyhound racing (i.e. the physical act of racing the dogs) is banned in most US states, but 6 states currently allow it and have greyhound racing tracks in operation – Florida (12 tracks), Texas (3 tracks), Alabama (1 track), Arkansas (1 track), Iowa (1 track) and West Virginia (2 tracks).

However, Florida recently voted to outlaw greyhound races for 2021, so as of January 2021, all 12 Floridian tracks will cease to be used. This will leave 8 greyhound racing tracks across 5 states in the US – Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, and West Virginia.

So is greyhound betting legal in the US?

The act of betting on a greyhound race taking part in another state is not illegal in most states – the majority of states allow you to legally watch live greyhound racing in other states and use greyhound racing betting sites to gamble on the outcome of the race. The laws on this are always changing, so double-check the legal status in your state.

So why is there this strange exception to the rules?

Well, back in 2006, the United States introduced anti-gambling measures known as theUnlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act or UIGEA for short. Due to lobbying from the powers that be, horse racing and greyhound racing were exempt from the bill, keeping it legal to bet on horse racing and greyhound races in most US states despite the act itself being banned in many of them.

Hopefully that clears things up!

Best Online Greyhound Betting Sites

If you’re looking for online betting sites that let you bet on greyhound races, you won’t find many trustworthy examples. The best greyhound betting sites are based in the US, have been around for many years, and have a very trustworthy reputation.

It’s not easy to find these sites!

The best online betting sites for greyhound races will have deals with racing tracks that allow them to stream greyhound races live to bettors in other states. They will also be legally licensed and they must pool their money with the physical racetracks to ensure that all winning gamblers get an equal cut whether they placed the bet online or in person.

Here are the 2 best betting sites for greyhound racing online:

Bet America

Bet America is a race betting website that is safe, reputable, and based in the US. The website features a live racing feed, and you can bet on horses as well as greyhound races. You can also gamble in their online casino, play online poker, and there are real-money welcome bonuses for new players.

Pros

• US-based website
• Bet on greyhounds or horses
• Real money welcome bonuses
• Online casino games too
• Wagers pooled with greyhound tracks

Cons

• Some state restrictions
• Live video a few seconds behind
• Designed more for horse racing

TVG

Established way back in 1993, TVG has been a prominent name in the race betting industry for nearly 30 years. This US-based race betting company is perhaps best known for its association with the TVG horse races channel (a.k.a the greyhound racing channel). TVG has a mobile-friendly betting site and decent welcome bonus promotions for new gamblers.

Pros

• Established for over 25 years
• US-based website
• Known for famous racing channel
• Mobile-friendly website
• Decent welcome bonuses
• Wagers pooled with greyhound tracks

Cons

• State restrictions
• Only covers 150 tracks (inc. horses)

How to Bet On Dog Racing

If you want to know the best way to bet on dog races, you have 2 options:

1. Go to a greyhound track and bet in person
2. Bet online with a greyhound racing live website

Unless you live in (or near) one of the handful of states where greyhound racing is legal, you’re probably not going to get to a greyhound race easily. For most Americans, betting on greyhounds online is the best option. Also remember that betting sites are legally required to pool their wagers with the tracks, so the odds and winnings are the same either way.

Just to remind you – some states ALSO do not allow betting on greyhound races online, so make sure you’re in a state where at least one of these options is available to you. If you’re in a state where both greyhound racing AND online gambling are banned, then you’re out of luck I’m afraid!

Though there are many racing betting sites out there, the 2 I would recommend are Bet America and TVG.

How Does Greyhound Betting Work?

So, now you know where to place your bets legally, but how exactly does greyhound racing betting work? If you’re used to betting on horses, then it’s basically the same thing, but here’s a guide for beginners:

Greyhound Betting is ALWAYS Parimutuel Wagering

First things first, we need to talk about parimutuel wagering. Basically, parimutuel wagering means that all wagers of the same type get pooled together and the potential payouts are based on the total money bet on the greyhounds after the house takes its cut and taxes from the pool.

So basically, the more people that put money down on different greyhounds, thelarger the pool of money becomes. The more people that put money down, the more the winners will get back in return. The final payout odds cannot be known until the last bet has been placed and finalized.

Not as complicated as it seems!

Betting sites and greyhound tracks love this system because they’re always making a profit – players aren’t competing with the house; they’re competing with each other. The house always takes a cut from the pool regardless of what happens.

Different Types of Greyhound Bets

If you’re familiar with horses racing bets, the rules are pretty much the same – daily double, pick 3, straight and exotic bets, etc. If you’re totally new to all of this, allow me to introduce you to the main 2 types of bets – straight bets and exotic bets.

Straight Bets

Okay, so there are 4 types of straight bet that you’re likely to come across:

1. Straight Bet to Win – you pick 1 dog to win 1st place. If the dog wins 1st place, you win. Simple.
2. Place Bet – you bet on 1 dog to “place”, meaning that it comes either 1st or 2nd.
3. Show Bet – you bet on 1 dog to come 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.
4. Across the Board – You place the above 3 bets simultaneously on a single dog.

Pretty simple, right?

Exotic Bets

Betting On Greyhound Racing

As the name implies, exotic bets are a little more complex. There are 10 main types of exotic bet that you’ll find on betting sites, though there may be slight variations. I know this wall of bets below looks intimidating, but it’s mostly quite simple stuff:

1. Quinella – you pick 2 different dogs, you win if they both come in 1st and 2nd place. The order that they place doesn’t matter.
2. Exacta – you pick 2 different dogs, you win if they both come in 1st and 2nd place, but you must specify the order in which they will finish.
3. Trifecta – you pick 3 different dogs to finish in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. They must finish in the order that you specify.
4. Superfecta – you pick 4 different dogs to finish in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place. They must finish in the exact order that you specify.
5. Daily Double – you bet on the 1st place dogs to finish in the first 2 races of the day (usually). You win if both get first place.
6. Pick 3 – you bet on the 1st place dogs for the first 3 races of the day (usually). You win if all 3 get first place. You might sometimes see variations like “Pick 4”, “Pick 5”, and “Pick 6”.
7. Pick 6 Jackpot – Many racetracks have a special progressive jackpot reserved for anyone who gets a “pick 6” bet and wins. In other words, they must correctly pick the 1st place dogs in the first 6 races of the day.
8. Parlay – this is a series of interconnected bets put on multiple races. If your dog wins in the first race, your winnings roll over to your wager on the next race, and so on.
9. Boxing Bets – You can “box” a quinella, exacta, or trifecta so that you choose several dogs as potential winners/placers instead of just 2, 3, or 4. The more dogs you box, the pricier the bet becomes and the less potential winnings you get if you’re right.
10. Keying Bets – This is similar to boxing your bets, but you must pick a specific dog that finishes 1st in each of the races you bet on. You could then have a selection of several dogs that finish in 2nd and 3rd place or 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place (depending on the bet). The runner-up dogs don’t need to be in a specific order, but your “key” 1st place dog must be exact and must finish 1st.

Conclusion – Should You Try Greyhound Betting?

While it’s maybe not the most morally upstanding sport in the world, greyhound betting is still legal in most of the US. If you’re looking to put money on the best greyhound betting sites, I’d recommend Bet America and TVG above all else. These racing betting sites allow you to place a range of straight and exotic bets on multiple races all around the country.

Hopefully this guide has taught you your Daily Double from your Pick 3 and helped you to use a racing betting site without worry. If you have any greyhound racing tips or a racing betting site that you recommend, feel free to leave a comment below!

A complete guide for learning how to bet on greyhound races legally online in the United States.

Often is the case that you will find exciting, competitive, lucrative sports where you never even expected to see them. This has been the case with greyhound racing for centuries. Yes, greyhound racing is a very old, well established sport across the globe.

And while it may not have the same appeal as horse racing, the genre of greyhound racing is still an extremely competitive and popular niche. At Legal Betting Online, we want to tell you all about greyhound racing, from its legality around America to the different types of bets you can make within the sport.

Our hope is that you end up winning money when betting on the greyhounds. We cannot claim that you will walk away from our resource site as an expert on greyhound racing, but we are sure that you will walk away with more knowledge to help you properly wager on the sport. And it all starts with learning about the legality of betting on the greyhound races in the US.

Is Betting On Greyhounds Legal In The United States?

Greyhound betting is one of only a few specific niches in the industry where it is actually 100% legal and regulated in the United States. When the UIGEA bill passed in 2006, special carve outs were made for both the horse racing and dog betting industry. As a matter of fact, outside of the daily fantasy sports sites that operate within the US, lottery, dog and horse betting sites are the only other exceptions. That's doesn't mean however that it's illegal to gamble with an offshore racebook site. We offer our recommendations on those as well as they are just as reputable as the US regulated sites and often times offer more lucrative perks for players.

BetAmerica is a US based company that operates one of a select few online racebooks that can legally accept American players. They are a household name in the industry and are regulated by the state of North Dakota. Players who are physically located in any of the following states are restricted from wagering: Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Virginia, Washington & Washington D.C.

Pros

• Accepts USA players from most states
• Bet on horse and dog races
• 100% legally licensed and regulated in the United States
• US regulated means guaranteed payouts
• Free handicapping info on all races
• Live video streaming of every race
• Easy deposits via credit card - no declines
• Most reputable racebook in the industry

Cons

• Racebook only - no sports betting

The following is a list of the most reputable offshore racebooks in the industry. They pay out winnings just as fast if not faster than the US regulated options above and many of them offer some great ongoing promotions and bonuses for loyal players. Most of these sites don't offer wagering on Greyhounds for whatever reason, but they offer a full service sportsbook and horse racebook which gives players a lot more options for betting more than just the dogs.

Is Betting Greyhound Races Online Legal In The United States?

Believe it or not, greyhound racing is perfectly legal in most US states. This is because, like legal online horse betting, an exception was carved out for greyhounds via 2006's UIGEA, which was a sweeping piece of federal gambling legislation signed into law by George W. Bush. Because of US gambling laws such as the UIGEA, most every form of online gambling was considered to be illegal, primarily because it was too hard for the government to track the money.

And as everyone knows, government takes the business of other people's money very seriously. So, things like poker, online casino games, bingo, etc, were held as illegal. However, state reps and Senators started carving out exceptions for things like greyhound racing, and thus they left it up to the states.

This is where things start to get complex. You see, while online greyhound betting is considered legal in most states, the physical activity of running greyhounds at a live track is something that's only legal in about half the states and currently only takes place in seven states.

This is because the greyhound industry, via on-location races, brings with it the dog breeding aspect, which is a huge hot-button topic. But since Internet gambling brings no such issues, most states allow for legal greyhound wagering via in-state sites that are sanctioned and operated right out of the USA.

Picking A State-Based or Offshore Greyhound Site?

You have two basic choices when looking for a greyhound website (racebook). You can either choose a state-based site, or you can go with an offshore site. Both of these options are legal for you to choose, and both can be good choices depending on the actual site. So it all boils down to the differences.

For instance, a site located and regulated in the USA may have better payment options for you to try out. It may also be easier to watch the events in live-time, streaming on the PC. Lastly, it will be easier for you to do your homework on the site, looking up licensing and regulation info.

For an international site, based offshore, you can also still get some benefits. For example, there are hundreds more of these racebooks in existence, so it should be easier to find more lucrative bonuses and promotions, if only by sheer number. In fact, every one of the USA friendly online sportsbooks we recommend offer an online racebook. Also, you may find more races, as you might be able to find local races happening at international locations.

At the end of the day, the type of site you choose is up to you. What we suggest is that you allow Legal Betting Online to do the homework on the sites and to point you in the right direction. You get the final say on whichever site you end up going with, but we will make an effort to lead you to a great home for your gambling.

What to Look For in a Quality Racebook for Greyhounds

No matter the avenue you decide to explore here, either going with our suggestions or branching out on your own, there are certain things that you should be looking for in a quality racebook. The site on which you choose to play will go a long way to determining whether you win or lose, or whether you can place the types of bets conducive to winning. Some of the things you should be looking for in a quality racebook include:

• A wide assortment of greyhound races, preferably offered to you in streaming format
• A long list of betting options, like the ones we have listed above
• A lot of people gambling so that the pooled money is always solid
• A strong security presence so you know you're safe when playing there
• A great customer support staff that can handle your inquiries
• A range of payment options that cater explicitly to you
• A high payout rate, showing the racebook is really fair when people win
• A great reputation with its customer base, e.g. forums, social media, etc
• A solid software platform that runs smoothly on any of your devices
• A lucrative bonus and promotions structure that gives you extra cash

With so many different sites out there today you can choose from, it should not be hard to find one that matches all of this criteria. You simply have to look around to find one, or you can simply follow our lead and allow us to point you in the right direction of a great racebook. That's what we're here for, after all: To be your eyes and ears, guiding you through the steps and helping you win cash money.

How States Handle Their Greyhound Legislation

The facts here can seriously confuse anyone unversed in the political double-speak and typical gambling lingo found via state legislation. We will decode it for you the best we can, and we hope you see that it breaks down to simplistic things. For instance, let's first start with live racing.

As of 2011, dog racing is illegal in 38 states. That's right; a lot of states have banned the physical sport. And even in some states where it isn't illegal per the letter of the law, like Kansas and Oregon, they have still shut down all dog tracks. The issue here is that too many people were complaining about dogs being treated poorly.

You can find legalized on-location greyhound races in these states: Texas, West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa and Arizona. However, if you look more closely at their specific laws, you will see that even some states—like Arizona, oddly enough—that have on-location greyhound betting have actually opted out of Internet-based gambling.

Speaking of Internet gambling, only a few states ban this. Virginia, the Carolinas, Maryland, Washington State, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Mississippi and Missouri opted out of legalized online gambling, but in every other state it is 100% legal.

Yeah, as you can see, it can be confusing. Greyhound racing is treated as two separate sports based on whether it's online or on location. And some states that ban it online allow it on-location, and vice versa, and some states don't give it much thought at all.

It can be a lot to take in, but look at it this way: You can gamble on greyhound racing, even from a state where it is banned online, so long as another site accepts you. As long as you find a legal location for gambling, you can bet there. Our US state gambling guide goes into specific laws that apply to each state and also offers a list of legally licensed sites available to players from a particular state.

Reasons States Aren't Thrilled About Live Racing

In less than a ten-year period, the state of Massachusetts alone received over 800 complaints to the Humane Society about the living conditions of dogs. Reports were coming out that dogs were kept in cages for 20 hours a day, not allowed to roam around.

And for decades there have been reports about rampant breeding of greyhounds leading to slower dogs that owners don't want being abused, killed, or sold off via puppy mills. While some of these reports may be exaggerated, the objective reality is that puppy mills and the like do exist, and that complaints were actually filed, followed up on, and viewed as credible by many states who acted to ban on-location racing.

There has been a dark cloud of rumors surrounding horses, too. For decades now, even showcased on nationally broadcast networks like HBO, reports have been flying out about the ill treatment of horses: Breeding too many of them, shipping them down to Mexico for food, and everyone knows about the old 'glue factory' saying.

However, Americans' love affair with dogs and horses aren't even similar. All dogs to go heaven, as the movie says. In a recent poll on Fox News, roughly a quarter of people polled said they would rush back into a burning building to save their pet dog, and save that dog instead of an actual person!

Domesticated, and with the moniker of man's best friend, dogs are treated by many Americans like a legitimate part of the family. Government knows what a hot-button topic this is, and so too do we. We are not comfortable getting into all of these things. It is nasty stuff to think about. However, we want to give you the most accurate picture possible on why government is so strict against on-location racing, though not on online racing.

With greyhound racing on the Internet, it falls under the 'out of sight, out of mind' principle. State politicians aren't receiving scathing letters from the ASPCA or the Human Society or PETA. Parts of the industry may still need some cleaning up, but politicians are not necessarily worried about this form of betting over the 'Net.

The Basics For Betting On The Greyhounds

Because greyhound betting is pari-mutuel betting and not specifically commercial betting, more states and the federal government are inclined to allow it to take place. A pari-mutuel bet is when all the money collected from wagers is pooled together. So, say you have 50 people placing bets on greyhounds, and they each bet $10.

Some will win, most will lose; that's just how betting works. And even if a higher percentage win, they're probably winning low pots because they bet with favorites. The winners will be paid from the remainder of the $500 collected, after the track/site takes it cut via the vig.

Another interesting aspect of pari-mutuel wagering is that the odds are not fixed ahead of time. They are set in advance, but they usually don't stay that way. Instead, odds will typically adjust based on which way the action is flowing. For instance, if dog X is 20:1 but suddenly people start wagering on X to win, the odds are going to adjust and dog X may end up becoming the favorite. In sports, while lines and odds do change, they're typically not changing in real-time and will take days to switch up.

Because gamblers are not competing against the house, as with blackjack or roulette, pari-mutuel gambling isn't considered on the same level as commercial gambling. This means you have an advantage, at least in the sense that the house does not. The house never 'wins' with a pari-mutuel bet per se; instead they take their vig via a percentage and end up clearing money every time someone bets. You're betting against the public at large and the odds of the dogs on the track.

Different Types of Greyhound Bets to Make

Our advice to all greyhound gamblers: Read up on these types of bets before you go out and put your money down. The more you know about betting and the genre in general, the better your odds are of actually winning money. Here are a few types of greyhound bets you can make on reputable racebooks:

Online Greyhound Betting Sites

1. Straight, Single or Win bet – this type of bet is the simplest. If the dog on which you bet is the first to cross the finish line, you win.
2. Place bet – when you bet on a dog to place, you are betting if your dog finishes in first or second place. Outside of the top two, you lose the bet.
3. Show bet – with this bet, your dog needs to finish within the top-three dogs in order to 'show' on the leader boards. It doesn't pay as much as a straight win bet, but it is a popular type of bet to place.
4. Across the Board bet – with this type of bet, you are making three bets on one dog: Win, place and show. You have three ways to win here, but winning first wins you all three bets (win, place and show), while taking second gives you the first two, and third gives you only the show.
5. Quinella bet – this is when you select correctly the first two dogs to cross the finish line, regardless of order. Pick the right two dogs to finish first and you win.
6. Perfecta/Exacta bet – this bet is when you select the first two dogs to cross, but you do so in exact order; e.g. Dog X finishing first and dog Y finishing second.
7. Trifecta bet – with a trifecta, you are betting on the exact order of the dogs that will finish in the top three places in the race.
8. Superfecta bet – a very risky bet, this is where you would bet on the order of the top four dogs to place in a single race.
9. Twin Trifecta bet – this is when the wager is pooled on two races, with a winning trifecta in race one giving you a ticket for race two. Of course, this is a pooled bet where a few gamblers are playing trifecta cards.
10. Tri-Super bet – close to a twin trifecta, this bet happens when you win a trifecta and trade in that ticket for a Superfecta ticket in the following race.
11. Daily Double bet – this is a bet where you select, in advance, the winners of two consecutive races.
12. Parlay bet – a parlay, which is a very common term, is a multiple bet where you make simultaneous selections on two or more races, where you also intend on pushing the winnings from your first race (potentially) to another race.
13. Pick 3, 4, 6 bets – these bets are when you select accurately the winners of the number of consecutive races; e.g. pick 3 and you must pick all 3 winners, etc.