Issues
Social
Impact
Greyhound racing is a gambling industry and targets the most vulnerable in the community.
About the Social Impact
The Enormous Financial and Social Costs
Australians spend and lose more on gambling than any other country in the world, losing around $31 billion each year.
The 2023 Federal Government report “You win some, you lose more” highlighted that four out of five people who gambled were at risk of some harm. The social cost is enormous across areas including substance abuse, homelessness, domestic violence and mental illness in addition to financial ruin.
According to KPMG, gambling addiction cost the Australian community an estimated $18bn in 2020. And much of this is borne by regional communities.
State governments are well aware that gambling addiction ruins lives, destroys families and incurs billions of dollars in treatment and rehabilitation costs. They spend millions of dollars funding a variety of gambling harm minimisation programs.
At the same time, they use taxpayer money to encourage gambling by building new greyhound tracks and inflating prizemoney and breeding bonuses.
Community greyhound rehoming groups deal with a constant stream of dogs cast off by the racing industry. The private costs in terms of time, money and emotional health are overwhelming.
Thousands of dogs are bred, exploited and discarded every year by the racing industry. They die in their hundreds on lethal racing tracks and thousands are injured.
The Exploitation of Children
The marketing of greyhound racing as “family friendly entertainment” is a very cynical and dangerous ploy by the racing industry.
They are actively encouraging the next generation of problem gamblers while exposing young children to the brutality of the racing track.
Animal suffering is endemic in the greyhound racing industry and includes the injury and deaths of thousands of dogs on Australian racing tracks. Deaths are often the result of violent collisions and falls. Dogs also struggle across the finish line with major injuries including fractured legs.
Despite this children as young as 12 are encouraged to act as “handlers” at greyhound racing tracks.
Learn More About the Social Impact
