Michigan restores ADW access, with exception of TwinSpires

Account wagering on horse racing is back on the menu in Michigan.

On Friday, the Michigan Gaming Control Board granted a license to Northville Downs to run two brief Standardbred meets in 2025, which had the effect of simultaneously approving the track’s contracts with third-party account-wagering operators. As a result, a handful of account-wagering operators were able to resume taking wagers from Michigan residents as of Friday, according to the board.

The approval has an ironic twist. One of the dominant account-wagering providers in the U.S., Twinspires.com, will remain blocked in Michigan due to the company’s lawsuit against the gambling board, which was filed after the company continued to take bets from Michigan residents when the blackout went into effect.

“NYRA Bets, FanDuel Racing/TVG, and Xpressbet can resume accepting advance deposit wagering in the state of Michigan effective immediately,” said Lisa Keith, the public information officer for the board, in a statement. “However, TwinSpires will not be able to resume ADW operations due to ongoing litigation.”

The gambling board suspended TwinSpires’s license on Jan. 7. Two weeks ago, the board filed a lawsuit against the company alleging “blatant defiance” of the state’s racing statutes.

Churchill had argued in its lawsuit that it did not need the board’s approval to take bets from Michigan residents.

Under Michigan racing law, account-wagering operators can take bets from Michigan residents as long as they have an agreement with a licensed racetrack. Northville closed in February 2024 with no intention of reopening, but its license did not expire until the end of 2024. After the expiration, its third-party agreements were no longer valid, and the gambling board told account-wagering operators that they could not conduct business in the state.

However, Northville Downs had reconstituted as a business entity late last year, and it had applied for Standardbred dates at a new location. That new license application was approved on Friday, revalidating the third-party contracts.

In its lawsuit, Churchill said that total account-wagering handle in Michigan in 2024 was $35.8 million.

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