West Virginia is the only state in the country that still allows greyhound racing.
A new bipartisan bill in Congress would ban greyhound racing nationwide, outlawing the country’s last two remaining greyhound racetracks: the Mardi Gras Casino and Resort in Nitro and the Wheeling Island Hotel Casino and Racetrack in Wheeling.
“Public records reveal that some greyhounds used for live commercial racing suffer serious injuries including broken backs, broken necks, head trauma, paralysis, seizures and electrocution,” the bill said.
While live racing is declining in popularity, West Virginia’s race tracks are still important economically. Revenue from racetracks help fund public services across the state along with providing jobs in a state where jobs are diminishing.
