Greyhound Racing in Sweden: updated 02/10/05

We've received the info below from Förbundet jurens rätt (Animal Rights Society) in Sweden.
If anyone wants to help fight greyhound racing in Sweden, they should contact Siw Ågren at siw.agren@djurensratt.org

Background and original appeal...

Sweden - ATG says "no" to dog race betting
Many thanks to all who contacted them!

Many thanks to all of you who contacted Swedish company ATG asking them not to accept bets on greyhound racing following the decision of Svenska Spel (Swedish Gaming) to stop taking such bets at the end of this year. ATG are already involved in horse race betting and our supporters in Sweden had informed us that Svenska Hundkapplöpningssportens Centralförbund (The Swedish Greyhound Racing Federation) were trying to persuade the company to take over from Svenska Spel with regard to accepting bets on the dogs. Here is an English translation of the reply that ATG have sent to some of our Swedish supporters who contacted them:- ATG has a licence issued by the government to arrange betting on horses. Our mission is to create and keep a good long-term financial development for the sport of horse racing all over the country. Betting on dogs is something we don't have a licence to do and we have no future plans to arrange or supply betting on dog racing. It does seem from this that Svenska Hundkapplöpningssportens Centralförbund have failed to persuade ATG to accept bets on greyhound racing and we hope that this will mean an end to the Swedish dog racing industry. We will however, keep the situation closely monitored, and act swiftly to oppose any renewed efforts to reinstate betting on the dogs in Sweden.

Betting on greyhounds to end in Sweden
! Let's make sure it never starts again !

Help urgently needed now!

For several years now people in Sweden have been able to bet on greyhound racing through an organisation called Svenska Spel (Swedish Gaming), which is connected to the Swedish government. This isn't just betting on races on the three tracks in Sweden, but also on races at certain tracks in Britain.

Because of lack of interest amongst Swedish people in betting on greyhound racing, Svenska Spel have decided to withdraw this service at the end of this year.

This is good news for greyhounds in Sweden, as without betting, dog racing in Sweden will go back to just being done as a hobby, and the large-scale breeding (and subsequent killing) of dogs for a commercialised industry will no longer take place.

It is also good news for greyhounds in Britain, as it will mean less revenue for those British tracks that were chosen by Svenska Spel for additional betting.

Svenska Hundkapplöpningssportens Centralförbund (The Swedish Greyhound Racing Federation) are now trying to get a company called ATG to accept bets on greyhound racing.

It's vitally important that as many people as possible, not just in Sweden, but throughout the world, contact ATG to ask them, politely, not to take bets on dog racing.

Please make sure that ATG are made fully aware of the mass slaughter and suffering of greyhounds that takes place in those countries (such as the UK, Ireland, the USA and Australia) where large commercial dog racing industries are kept alive by betting.

Ask them to please not be party to the same situation happening in Sweden.

Contact details for ATG are:-
ATG, 161 89 Stockholm, Sweden. Phone: +46 8 627 20 00. E-mail: kundsupport@atg.se

Background

In 1998 Svenska Spel carried out a market analysis to investigate the possibility of introducing the game of betting on greyhound racing in Sweden. This investigation represented both the Swedish Greyhound Racing Federation (Svenska Hundkapplöpningssportens Centralförbund (SHCF)) and the Swedish Kennel Club (SKC). The Government issued Svenska Spel, who work together with SHCF and SKC, with a betting permit for greyhound racing in Sweden. This permit is due to expire on December 31st 2004 when the Government will decide whether or not the concession is to be renewed; the Department of Finance will have a deciding roll in the decision making process.

In Sweden there are currently 700 licensed racing dogs and three state racing tracks: Åkersberga, Borås, and Landskrona. The tracks have a circumference of approximately 400 meters; the races are 320, 550 or 782 meters in length. Betting on greyhound races takes place seven days a week – if no races are held in Sweden on a particular day Svenska Spel use British based races. The games are called Vinn 3 and Vinn 8; in Vinn 3 the player must select all three winners; in Vinn 8 the player selects the winners in 8 races and receives payouts for 6, 7 and 8 correct

Betting on greyhound racing in Sweden is carried out according to an agreement made between Svenska Spel and SHCF, and is run by a limited company owned by SHCF. The agreement regulates the collaboration, and profits are divided between Svenska Spel and SHCF. Svenska Spel is the world’s first – and so far only – state-run betting comapny to offer betting on greyhound racing. The monies generated by this activity are, according to the agreement, to be used – in consultation with SKC – for research, youth initiatives, and education to benefit the sport, thereby providing SKC with a share of the profits. All revenues obtained from the game are - according to Svenska Spel- divided as follows: 70% of the turnover goes to the players in the form of payouts, 10% is paid as commission to the agents, and 20% goes to the organizers, with a total of approximately 20 million SEK going to the sport itself.

The welfare of the animals is guaranteed by the Swedish Board of Agriculture who ensure that the animal protection laws are followed. They provide track veterinarians who examine the dogs before each race and impose conditions for the racing of dogs, in addition to approving SHCF’s competition rules.

The SKC, of which membership is compulsory for all license holders, can judge or exclude active members from its committee, and are responsible for employing kennel consultants for inspections, and for approving SHCF’s competition rules.

SHCF, who are responsible for issuing the competitor licenses, have the authority to refuse and revoke licenses.

The most likely deciding factor regarding the Swedish Government and Parliament’s decision to approve tote-betting on greyhound racing is that the SKC would - in return for a fee -guarantee the welfare of the animals. However, there was much doubt within the kennel organisation as to whether the SKC was involved in a commercial operation. This provoked motions by several kennel representatives – the SKC’s highest decision makers- who insisted that the SKC ceased its involvement in the game. The motions were subsequently rejected.

The Swedish Greyhound Club has attempted to protest against the game but has been overruled by their own parent organisation.

The greyhound breeders are inspected by the SKC’s volunteer kennel consultants. In the past, breeders were mainly involved in breeding on a hobby basis, but these days they have a strong commercial interest in the activity. There is already a distinct lack of these kennel consultants - which should be cause for concern for the Swedish Kennel Club. Furthermore, the consultants have no official status, nor do they have any resources to contend with breeders who, for example, refuse them entry to their kennels for inspection.

SKC has to guarantee that no dogs under 10 years of age be put down, unless for medical reasons. How this is to be regulated remains to be seen. And what of the dogs who are over 10 years of age? A greyhound can live considerably longer. An approved A-license permits an owner to keep more than 30 dogs. How can all these animals live as family dogs as promised by the SKC?

There has been a sharp increase in the number of imported greyhounds particularly from Ireland; the number of SKC registrations has also seen a remarkable increase.

Förbundet Djurensrätt demand the Swedish Government to not renew the permit for greyhound racing when the agreement with Svenska Spel expires because of the animal protection issues that the sport inevitable leads to; that the Swedish Parliament forbids by law greyhound racing and other commercial dog racing; and that SHCF and SKC withdraw their support for commercial dog racing.

For further information contact Siw Ågren siw.agren@djurensratt.org or visit www.djurensratt.org.