Advance-deposit wagering shut down in Michigan

Advanced-deposit wagering has ceased in the state of Michigan after the state’s gambling commission allowed its approval of third-party operators to lapse due to the closure of the state’s last remaining track.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board ruled that ADW operations could not go on under state law as of Jan. 1 without a live operating track tied to the third-party operators. In late February of last year, Northville Downs, a harness track, closed its doors.

All of the large ADW operations were active in Michigan last year, and several of those companies have said that they are attempting to reach a solution with the gaming control board on being reinstated.

“Unfortunately, we are not able to offer any timeline on when online horse race betting will be available again,” FanDuel said in a message to Michigan account holders. “But we are committed toward following all local regulations.”

Sports betting is legal in Michigan, and on-line gambling sites continue to take bets from the state’s residents on sports outside of racing.

The state gambling board changed its regulations in 2020 to allow live racetracks to contract with third-party operators to allow betting on horse racing, during the height of the pandemic.

“The order should enable the state’s horse racing industry to gain new followers through ADW and maintain protection for citizens who wish to place wagers on live and simulcast pari-mutuel racing in Michigan using their mobile phones,” the executive director of the board, Richard Kalm, said at the time.

Michigan once had several Thoroughbred racetracks, but the last one, Hazel Park, closed in 2018. The state has a population of approximately 10.1 million people, according to the last census.

Northville Downs has applied for two brief Standardbred meets for 2025, but its license application has not yet been approved. If the license is approved, it’s possible that ADWs would be back up and running in the state.

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