Bord na gCon posts surplus as crowds fall

Bord na gCon has reported a large increase in its operating surplus for 2015, although numbers attending greyhound meetings continued to fall.

The latest accounts filed by Bord na gCon, the Irish Greyhound Board, show it recorded a surplus of over €2.3m in 2015 – up from just under €700,000 in 2014. However, the surplus was largely attributable to an increase in funding from the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund which went up from €10.8m in 2014 to €13.6m in 2015. The profit from actual racing activities declined to €617,502 from over €805,000 in 2014.

Total income rose by almost 14% to €28.2m largely due to the decision by the board to bring its food and beverage operations back in-house. However, total prize money declined – down to €6.7m from €7.5m in 2014. Overall attendances at race meetings were also down 1.4% to 635,289, although average attendances per meeting were up 4.5% to 387 due a reduction in the actual number of race nights.