Opinion by Joe Fotalattee
Vung Tau dog racing track is shutting down, but unfortunately, plans to reopen are in the works and 400 dogs are currently being exploited.
State-Sanctioned Gambling And Animal Abuse
While voters in the USA have nearly eliminated all dog racing with ballot initiatives, three states still allow the draconian sport: West Virginia, Arkansas, and Iowa. Vietnam is willing to be associated with such progressive states.
Due to the license expiration, Lam Son Dog Racecourse in Vung Tau City, which had a total investment of USD 5 million, will close on March 10.
On March 6, Sports and Entertainment Services Joint Stock Company (investor) announced it will relocate equipment at the Lam Son stadium racetrack. While it waits for the contract to be settled, the Ba Ria City Center will continue to raise and train close to 400 Greyhound dogs. A new dog racing track in Lam Dong is being built by the investor.
Two sessions per week were held at the Lam Son dog racetrack, and admission was 90,000 to 180,000 VND per person. The investor has staged nearly 1,500 races for 23 years, bringing in over 315 million spectators who purchased tickets to the stadium to watch and wager. According to the investor, they have already lost 205 billion VND and contributed more than 45 billion VND to the local economy.
The land will be planned with a sporting function after the Lam Son racetrack is relocated, according to the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Department of Culture and Sports.
The Green Park-Sports, which includes a 10,000-seat yard and the Sports Complex, is located on Cau Chay Street. The Department of Culture and Sports is proposing to move the dog racing school there. (Vung Tau City, Ward 11 and 12). VnExpress reported this location is ideal for meeting the needs of locals and visitors who want to watch dog racing because it is close to the road leading to Long Dien district in Ba Ria city and the gateway road to Vung Tau city.
The Sports and Entertainment Services Joint Stock Company’s existing 7 point 9 hectare dog farm in Long Toan Ward, Ba Ria City, is another potential site for the racetrack. To encourage multiple businesses to bid jointly to support socioeconomic development, the neighborhood proposed adding the land to the list.
