Greyhounds Australasia (GA) was represented at the May 2012 Australasian Racing Ministers Conference held in Tasmania where the Conference received a briefing from GA Chairman Russell Ware confirming the healthy state of the Australasian greyhound industry.
Mr Ware advised the Conference that,
“Australasian Greyhound Racing continues to flourish in the ever competitive sport, leisure and entertainment industry.
It is true to say that, racing greyhounds are the fastest animal on four legs to wager on, with a greyhound travelling at speeds of up to 75km per hour.
More importantly though, a greyhound meeting has between 10 to 12 races on a program, lasts less than 3 hours, with each race taking no longer than 30 seconds to run.
Wagering on a greyhound race is simple, with the numbers 1 to 8 aligning to their starting boxes and racing rugs.
The entertainment experience is quick and meets the needs of modern society where everything is time critical.”
In terms of measurable facts that support the buoyant state of Australasian greyhound racing, the following statistics with regard to the greyhound racing industry for Financial Year 2011 should be noted:
- 81 greyhound tracks.
- 330,000 starters in over 43,000 races.
- $2.8 billion was wagered on TAB/ pari-mutuel betting, compared with $1.7 billion in 2002. Up by 165% in the last decade.
- Stake money of around $83 million was distributed to licensees, in contrast to 2002 where $47 million was released. A staggering increase of 177%.
- There were around 30,000 registered greyhound participants, which has remained consistent for the past 10 years.
- The sport is strongly linked to the social aspect of society, with about 90-95% of trainers being classified as hobbyists.
