Luther Winn Says Bringing Dog Racing Back to Eutaw is Unrealistic

The CEO of a large gaming center in Greene County says a newcomer's pitch to bring live greyhound racing back to Alabama is unrealistic, and people should not hold their breath waiting for it to come to fruition.

As the Tuscaloosa Thread reported last week, a group of investors say they want to invest several million dollars in upgrading the track and facilities at the iconic Greenetrack Greyhound Track and Casino.

Mac Davis, the head of the group called Pro Greyhound Racing Investors, told the Thread he wants to see live dog racing back in Eutaw by May 2025.

Davis said his plans would not affect the operations of Greene County Entertainment - what he called the casino property. That space operated as Greenetrack until early 2023, when it shut down after the state Supreme Court ruled they owned more than $75 million in taxes for years of revenue collected at their bingo hall.

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The space reopened three months later as Greene County Entertainment, where new owners shifted the focus from electronic bingo to pari-mutuel wagering on races that are broadcast to Eutaw, not held there.

One thing stayed the same, though - former Greenetrack CEO Luther Winn remains at the helm as CEO of Greene County Entertainment, and Winn says he does not think Davis should be taken seriously about the prospect of bringing dogs back to the venue.

Winn said it requires a parimutuel betting license to broadcast or conduct dog racing in Greene County. He holds the only one, and unless something changes, the state is not going to issue another.

"The act that created greyhound racing in Greene County only allows one licensed operator at one time and at this point, Greene County Entertainment is the entity that holds the racing license," Winn said. "And it's good until 2033."

The longtime Greene County gaming heavyweight said as things stand, if Davis doesn't work with him, he doesn't have any avenue to bring dog racing back to Eutaw.

When asked if he would be open to working with Davis, Winn said the head of this new investment group has not demonstrated enough knowledge about greyhound racing to make a worthwhile partner.

"I spoke to Mac Davis probably 10 minutes and he said to me that he had 100 dogs ready to race right now - I knew at that point he was not very knowledgeable about this industry," Winn said. "A hundred dogs is barely enough to run a card - it would take 1,200 to 1,500 dogs to be comfortable."

Winn also noted there are only two live dog racing tracks left in the United States, where all but seven states have outlawed the practice. He doesn't see an appetite to bring a new one online or know who might be able to pull it off logistically.

"Here at Greene County Entertainment right now, there are no kennels, no buildings, no live race track," Winn said. "I don't even know who would actually build a race track now because the one guy in the country who did that has passed away. It's just not realistic."

Winn said he wants people to know he has only had a single, short, unproductive conversation with Davis about the matter and people should temper expectations about the proposal.

"There is no underhanded deal here, there have not been any negotiations or any discussions with me or anyone about putting live dog racing here at Greene County Entertainment except a 10-minute phone call," Winn said.

For more coverage of the issue as it unfolds in Eutaw, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.