Michigan Horse Racing Betting
The Michigan horse racing betting industry is limited in scope relative to other states, but residents do not suffer a complete lack of wagering options. Licensed horse betting sites and Northville Downs both provide safe, legal wagering on races held in Michigan and elsewhere.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) is the state’s regulatory body over horse racing. MGCB duties include issuing licenses to tracks and advance deposit wagering providers (ADWs), collecting tax revenue, monitoring the conduct of parimutuel wagering in Michigan, and more.
Michigan legalized horse racing in 1933, and more recent updates to the law established a formal licensing process for advance deposit wagering (online betting). Major ADWs that offer their services in Michigan provide betting on races held worldwide in an environment that is legal and safe.
Michigan Horse Racing Betting Sites
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Michigan Online Horse Betting Apps
State law requires all mobile horse racing betting sites and mobile apps to acquire licenses from the Michigan Gaming Control Board. A small number of providers have successfully applied for licenses and now offer their services to customers who are 18 or older, residents of Michigan, and located within state lines.
Michigan Horse Racetracks
Michigan was formerly home to numerous horse race tracks, but declining revenues have resulted in all but one closing permanently.
The decline of Michigan horse racing can be partially attributed to a 2004 measure requiring new gambling ventures to be approved by voters in local and statewide votes. However, the Michigan horse racing betting industry has experienced a resurgence of late thanks to significant increases in funding from expanded gaming.
Northville Downs
In 2024, Northville Downs vacated its longtime home in Northville amid plans to relocate to Plymouth Township. Initial negotiations looked promising but collapsed when the two sides reached an impasse. Meanwhile, a major redevelopment project began at the track’s original site, leaving Northville Downs without a permanent home.
Northville Downs is licensed to hold horse races at the Barry County Fairgrounds in Hastings while the track’s operators search for a permanent home. Currently, it’s unknown where (and whether) Northville Downs will build a permanent facility.
As the state’s last remaining racetrack, Northville Downs’ survival is critical for online horse betting in Michigan. State law requires advance deposit wagering operators (“third party facilitators”) to have contracts with all race meeting licensees. As a result, all Michigan horse betting apps are partnered with Northville Downs in order to serve residents.
When Northville Downs temporarily paused its operations in 2024 amid the relocation debacle, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) did not renew the track’s horse racing license. The lack of a licensed horse racing facility led to the MGCB ordering all Michigan horse racing betting sites to cease operations.
Most Michigan horse racing betting sites complied, but TwinSpires refused to follow the order, citing federal law. That led to the MGCB revoking TwinSpires’ ADW license. In turn, Churchill Downs Inc. (TwinSpires’ parent company) sued the MGCB over the licensing decision. Michigan’s horse racing betting apps returned to normal operations after Northville Downs obtained a license for its Hastings races, but the Churchill Downs case remain ongoing.
Meanwhile, Churchill Downs Inc. has secured two favorable opinions in federal court allowing TwinSpires to remain active in Michigan while litigation continues.
Sports Creek Raceway (Closed)
4290 Morrish Road
Swartz Creek, MI 48473
Sports Creek Raceway was a racetrack in Swartz Creek near Flint that closed in 2015. AmRace & Sports LLC purchased the track in 2018 and attempted to renovate the facility ahead of a 2020 or 2021 reopening.
However, AmRace has delayed its reopening plans multiple times as the firm lobbies the Michigan legislature to authorize historical horse racing machines that function similarly to slots. AmRace has called the devices “absolutely critical” for the future of horse racing in Michigan.
Hazel Park Raceway (Closed)
1650 E 10 Mile Road
Hazel Park, MI 48030
Hazel Park Raceway offered thoroughbred horse racing, harness racing, and parimutuel wagering from 1949 until its permanent closure in 2018. The facility was sold to Ashley Capital and demolished to pave the way for the construction of a sprawling industrial warehouse.
Mount Pleasent Meadows (Closed)
500 N Mission Road
Mount Pleasant, MI 48858
Mount Pleasant Meadows racetrack opened in 1985 and operated against the odds from the beginning in a town of less than 30,000 and far from any major cities. The track opened as a mixed-breed venue before switching to pure thoroughbred racing in its final years.
Investors pulled their funding in 2013, and the track surrendered its racing license shortly thereafter. Mount Pleasant Meadows operated as a training facility for the next two years and then served a short stint as a snowmobile track.
Michigan Online Horse Racing Betting Law
Michigan formally legalized online horse racing betting in the final days of 2019 by passing HB 4310 to amend the Horse Racing Law of 1995.
US-based ADWs operated openly in Michigan before the passage of the law, but they did so on uncertain legal footing. The implementation of HB 4310 clarified the issue by expressly legalizing advance deposit wagering in Michigan and creating a licensing process for providers.
HB 4310 amended Section 431.308 of the Horse Racing Law to establish “third party facilitator licenses” for online betting operators. The MGCB later issued an order providing additional details related to licensing conditions and fees.
Key regulations for Michigan ADWs and horse racing betting sites:
- Operators must submit a plan of operations for approval
- $1,000 application fee and $500 license renewal fee for operators
- $500 licensing fee, renewed annually
- Each prospective advance deposit wagering operator in Michigan must have a joint contract with all race meeting licensees and certified horsemen’s organizations in Michigan before applying for a license
- Licensed Michigan ADWs “may not sell or share an applicant or account holder’s confidential information” or use it for any purpose other than processing wagers without the customer’s consent
Under the law, licensed Michigan horse racing betting apps may offer wagers on races held in-state or out-of-state. Customers may bet on the Kentucky Derby and other Triple Crown races from anywhere within state lines.
Additional regulations adopted by the Michigan Gaming Control Board provide further details. R 431.5015 states customers must be 18 or older to sign up for online horse betting accounts and requires all licensed online racebooks to collect the following information from customers:
- Full legal name and address
- Residential address
- Phone number
- Identification that verifies the customer’s age
Michigan Off-Track Betting Locations
Michigan does not have any standalone OTBs, which leaves Northville Downs as the only location with simulcast racing and wagering. Simulcast wagering at Northville Downs covers race tracks across the country and generates significantly more wagering activity than live racing does at the track.
None of Michigan’s casinos offer horse racing betting at this time.
Detroit Horse Racing Betting
Detroit horse racing betting options are limited to licensed ADWs and Northville Downs just west of Detroit in Northville. Detroit’s commercial casinos operate retail sportsbooks but do not offer parimutuel horse racing betting.
The most convenient option for fans in the Detroit area is advance deposit wagering – placing wagers online through licensed betting sites and mobile apps. Several of the country’s major horse racing betting operators accept customers across the state of MIchigan, including Detroit.
Michigan Horse Racing Betting FAQ
Wes Burns has more than a decade’s worth of experience as a writer, researcher and analyst in the legal gambling industry and is co-founder of BettingUSA.com. As a former professional online poker player, Wes approaches his work from the viewpoint of players.