Greyhound racing most popular with Australian Gen Y; Roy Morgan research

Wednesday 20th of January 2016

The average greyhound racing punter is around eight years younger than the average horse racing punter, with over 600,000 Australian adults betting in the sport at least once a year, according to Roy Morgan Research.

According to the report released Jan. 20, 3.3 million Australian adults (18 percent of the population) gambled on at least one thoroughbred horse race in the past year, with an average age of 49, compared to the 3.2 percent who bet on greyhounds, at an average age of around 41.

The lower age average is driven by the popularity of the sport among 25-34 year olds, which makes up 34.2 percent of greyhound bettors, according to the market research firm.

"Greyhound racing, meanwhile, seems to be on-trend—and last year’s live baiting scandal, revealed on Four Corners in February last year, had only a marginal effect on betting incidence. Not only has its popularity been consistent over the past decade, but Aussies aged 18-34 now make up only nearly half of greyhound bettors, compared with only a quarter of horse-racing bettors.” said Angela Smith, group account director, Roy Morgan Research.

"But it’s not just this generational difference that suggests greyhound racing is trendy: by far the most likely Values Segment to bet on greyhounds (at rates well over double the norm) are those defined as ‘Look at Me’: a niche group of social butterflies who participate in cool or outrageous activities with the in-crowd of their peers, who follow trends and want to clearly distinguish themselves from previous generations.

"And, as with the overall age trend, this group is among the least likely to be interested in placing a bet on horses.”

Racing Roy Morgan Research