THE greyhound industry is planning to take a large bite out of overseas gambling revenues in order to fund the refurbishment of dog-racing tracks in Ireland.

Bord na gCon, the Irish Greyhound Board (IGB), is hoping to get a slice out of the millions of euros in tote betting from Europe, China, India and South America in order to fund a €45m reconstruction and renovation plan at six tracks.

It is hoped that revamped stadiums will further popularise a sport which last year turned a €5.5m profit on €60m in gate receipts, betting and other revenues, according to Adrian Neilan, the IGB chief executive.

Dog-racing fans in Sweden bet €250,000 in a six-month trial scheme this year using terminals in corner shops and supermarkets. While Swedish gambling on Irish greyhound racing is expected to build up to a rate of €2m a year, Austrian punters will be encouraged to gamble on Irish greyhound races in a similar deal next month. Licensing agreements in Macau, India, Peru and Venezuela are being pursued by the IGB.

“Betting in Sweden more closely resembles how the Lotto operates in Ireland than our traditional bookies’ shops,” said Vinnie Barrett, IGB’s head of technology.

There is nothing resembling the betting culture and network of bookie shops familiar to Irish and British gamblers. Instead, betting terminals can be found at the back of many convenience stores.

“It is quite common for someone to come into the shop, buy a pint of milk, a loaf of bread and have a bet on a trotting (sulky) race — which is very popular in Sweden — in much the same way as we might play the Lotto in our local Spar,” said Barrett.

“Now they can have a bet on an Irish greyhound race at these betting terminals. Or they can get the shop assistant to give them the equivalent of a Lotto quick-pick.”

Swedish punters can also bet on Irish greyhound races from their homes on a dedicated website that can only be accessed within Sweden. The site shows delayed coverage of Irish races.

In Austria, betting terminals will be located in more conventional bookmakers’ shops. Unlike international betting with bookmakers, however, tote betting goes straight to the IGB’s bottom line.

Twenty cents from every euro bet on the IGB’s tote-betting facility in Ireland goes to the greyhound board, amounting to about 11% profit after operating costs are met. In the Swedish deal, the Irish and Swedish operators will share 50c of every euro bet.

The IGB is planning to invest €45m over the next three years on greyhound stadiums in Limerick, Mullingar, Clonmel, Kilkenny, Enniscorthy and Youghal. Work on a €2m upgrade of bar and dining facilities at Waterford greyhound track is nearing completion.

Neilan said: “Our planned developments will be in stages depending on how our cash flow comes out. We are still talking to local stakeholders about the details, but this is part of our 2007-2012 strategic plan to make the industry more viable.”

The new facilities will augment the five racetracks upgraded since the late 1990s — Shelbourne Park, Harold’s Cross, Cork’s Curraheen Park, Galway and Newbridge. IGB also joined forces with Horse Racing Ireland in recent years to provide the first joint greyhound racing and all-weather horse-racing track outside Dundalk, Co Louth.

Heavy marketing of greyhound racing as a great night out at upgraded facilities has moved the sport away from its flat-cap and raincoat image of previous decades.

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