Wales Greyhound Ban Bill Under Fire from Politicians and Industry

_{Cross‑party alarm over Wales greyhound ban bill. (Image: Naturfoto-Online/Alamy)}

A draft bill to outlaw greyhound racing across Wales has drawn strong criticism from a cross‑party group of legislators, who say the evidence used to justify the ban is “incomplete and contested.” The Senedd Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport and International Relations Committee, the body charged with scrutinising the legislation, warned that the government’s rush to legislate has left important questions unanswered. 

Casinos.com has been reporting on this story throughout 2025 and we interviewed Malcolm Tams the owner of the greyhound track in where he claimed a deal had been struck with the leader of the Welsh Lib Dems who had been the owner of a rescue greyhound. News reports suggested that the ban was as a result of a sweetner to push through the Welsh Government's £29bn budget.  

The bill, formally introduced on 29 September 2025, seeks to make it a criminal offence to operate or permit a stadium for greyhound racing, or to organise a race, anywhere in Wales.  

The only remaining track in Wales, the Valley Greyhound Stadium in Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly, would be shut under the new law.  

Committee: Insufficient Data, Rushed Process

In its report the committee acknowledged serious welfare concerns, including injuries and deaths among racing greyhounds.  

But in a pointed assessment, the chair of the committee, Delyth Jewell MS, said the lack of clear, robust evidence made meaningful scrutiny difficult.

“We’re all agreed that animal welfare must be the top priority in any decision about greyhound racing, but a lack of clear evidence has made the work of scrutinising the Bill more difficult.”  

She added that asking the committee to review a bill with contested evidence under a compressed timetable was “not how good law is made.”  

Committee members also pointed out that the potential economic and community impact, particularly on those whose jobs depend on the sport, has not been fully assessed.  

Industry Pushes Back, Warns of “ill‑judged legislation”

The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), the sport’s UK-wide regulator, has challenged the bill. Its chief executive, Mark Bird, said the committee’s report confirmed what the industry has been warning: the legislation risks being “ill‑judged and ill‑considered.”  

GBGB argues the sport could continue under regulation, keeping both animal welfare and livelihoods intact.  

Meanwhile, supporters of the ban, including the coalition of animal welfare charities known as the Cut the Chase Coalition, say they will continue working with lawmakers to safeguard greyhound welfare.  

What Next for Greyhound Racing in Wales

If passed, the Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill would make Wales the first part of the UK to outlaw greyhound racing.  

The government says it plans to phase out racing gradually, no sooner than April 2027, and no later than April 2030.  

But the objections from lawmakers and the industry highlight deeper concerns: is the ban being driven by genuine welfare evidence, or by political pressure? Will the government properly assess socio‑economic impacts before banning an activity that supports livelihoods and local economies?

For proponents of animal welfare, the bill represents decisive action. For critics, it risks becoming hasty legislation that may not withstand legal challenge, or public scrutiny.

Wales now stands at a crossroads: either to end what many see as a cruel sport, or to preserve an industry, and a tradition, whose fate remains undecided.