Betting on animals has existed since ancient times, and since then, the popularity of predicting the outcome of animal sports has proliferated. Some countries, such as Spain, have traditions such as bullfighting and corrida that involve the animals making a show. While in some South American countries, there is a tradition to organize cockfights and make a show out of it. Such events are spectacular, so people bet on them using sportsbooks, such as those listed on Betting Africa and make a profit. However, with such a massive growth of betting events with animals comes the problem of animal cruelty. As a result, many activists pledge to end the exploitation and suffering of animals by raising awareness of the problems on the Internet. So, let’s talk about the moral aspects of betting on sports with animals and why so many people are against such
an industry trend.
First of all, there are various sports that involve animals. Some of them are very spectacular but consist of poor treatment of animals. However, there are also sports that are known for their great environment and the most excellent conditions for animals. But for the sake of clarity, let’s list the most common sports involving animals, compare them, and rate them in order of treatment.
Some of them need to be banned, while others are pretty fair to the animals. Let’s analyze them in detail and find out which of them are okay to bet on and which of them are considered harmful and violent for animals.
When someone talks about “animal sports,” many of you immediately think of horse or greyhound racing, but nothing is that simple. The world of animal sports betting is rich and has many competitions that you have probably never heard of. One such sport is sled dog racing. It’s a well-known sport in northern countries where winters are cold and snowy. The sport involves dogs, sleds, and mushers (dog drivers). The dogs pull the sled with a pilot on the winter race track. Fortunately for many people, however, sled dog racing is no longer an Olympic sport. The last time it was was in 1994.
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Exercise for dogs | ❗ Risks of injuries |
| ✅ Gentle after retirement | ❗ Many people consider it as animal cruelty |
Another famous sport that is known all over the world among pet owners. The competition takes place on a special course with numerous obstacles. The goal is to overcome all the barriers and set the best time. To this day, these events are very popular because they don’t have anything to do with pet cruelty and the exploitation of dogs for the sake of human pleasure. Moreover, dogs are less likely to have behavioral problems, apathy, depression, and other mental disorders because they have a goal and a job to do. As a result, such competitions are beneficial for the dogs and fun for the spectators.
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Help to prevent mental disorders | ❗ Risks of injuries |
| ✅ Creates a connection with an owner | |
| ✅ Plenty of exercise for dog and owner |
One of the most challenging and controversial sports for hundreds of years. Recently, it has become even more apparent that it falls into the category of sports cruel to creatures. Nevertheless, millions of gamblers are still obsessed with horse racing, placing hundreds of bets on daily races. There is another side to horse racing, where a group of people pledges never to bet on cruelty and encourage others to do the same. The context is that horses are confined, that they leave their worst lives behind and are retired when they can’t compete anymore. This is not the case. Many horses end their careers in good hands. Many organizations take care of them and find new owners. And the biggest concern, that trained horses are different and not gentle isn’t genuine either, as many scientific studies say that horses don’t feel undertreated and subconsciously bad. Let’s look at the pros and cons of horse racing.
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Mental and physical stimulation | ❗ Risks of injuries |
| ✅ Challenges to perform best | ❗ Doping |
| ✅ Regular health treatment | ❗ Ethical concerns |
Betting on animal sports undoubtedly raises quite a few concerns. Is it ethical to bet on animals? Is competition harmful to their mental and physical health? If you’re wondering about these things, you might want to think twice about betting on animal sports. However, many studies have reported positive aspects for creatures participating in sports competitions. Of course, animal sports that we haven’t mentioned today are more dangerous than a dog or horse racing, such as cockfighting or bullfighting. So, if any of these sports radiate negativity and stigma, stay away from them and stick to other ways of betting on sports, including basketball, football, baseball, eSports, rugby, and dozens of different sports. You’re sure to find a betting activity to your taste.