ADW

The federal lawsuit in Michigan involving TwinSpires and a state law requiring advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platforms to partner with a brick-and-mortar racetrack before accepting simulcast wagers took a twist Friday when a judge granted in part and denied in part a motion by state defendants to dismiss the claim initiated back in January by Churchill Downs Technology Initiatives Company. "TwinSpires brings this claim under the implied cause of action to enjoin state actors from violating federal law," United States District Court Judge Hala Jarbou of the Western District of Michigan...

A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) is unconstitutionally violating the Interstate Horseracing Act (IHA) by requiring the advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platform TwinSpires to partner with a racetrack in that state before accepting simulcast wagers from Michigan residents. The judge further issued a preliminary injunction ordering the MGCB not to enforce the contested Michigan Horse Racing Law (MHRL) licensing requirement or to issue any sanctions against the Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) subsidiary for accepting bets. The Feb. 19 order only pertained to the TwinSpires...

Five days after the Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) subsidiary that operates the advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platform TwinSpires sued the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) in federal court, claiming that the Interstate Horseracing Act (IHA) pre-empts a state law that ADW providers be linked to a licensed racetrack, the executive director of the MGCB sued TwinSpires, alleging that the ADW's "blatant defiance" of a suspension order "constitutes an imminent threat to the public health, safety and welfare." The dueling lawsuits stem from the fact that Michigan's law requiring ADWs to partner...

The Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) subsidiary that operates the advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platform TwinSpires sued the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) in federal court Jan. 12, alleging that the state's requirement that ADW providers be linked to a licensed racetrack and live race meeting is "unlawful." The state's track-partnership requirement currently can't be fulfilled by any ADW because there hasn't been any Thoroughbred racing in Michigan since 2018, and Standardbred races last ran in February 2024. TwinSpires (and other ADWs) had previously partnered with the harness operation at Northville Downs,...

No industry gathering at which Thoroughbred executives discuss pricing issues is immune from the intertwined topic of death and taxes. In the pari-mutuel world, that means talking about takeout, or, more specifically, how the disparate fees that different classes of bettors must pay for the privilege of placing wagers are killing off smaller-scale casual horseplayers. A Wednesday panel discussion at the Global Symposium on Racing hosted by the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program in Tucson was the latest Thoroughbred confab at which the takeout issue got batted around...

1/ST TECHNOLOGY has partnered with Tier-1 operator bet365 to deliver horse racing to that company's U.S. customers via 1/ST BET, The Stronach Group said in a Wednesday release. The partnership will power the stateside launch of bet365's Advance Deposit Wagering on horse racing, across web and mobile app channels, in U.S. jurisdictions where ADW is accepted. "This is a tremendous opportunity to partner with one of the premier brands in sports betting and for 1/ST BET to showcase its best-in-class pari-mutuel horse racing wagering experience to bet365's customers," said Keith...

Months of contentious jockeying over whether Ferndale (Humboldt County Fair) should run its second of two weeks of racing at the end of August un-overlapped with its Northern California compatriot, Golden Gate Fields (GGF), ended in defeat for the small rural track. In a 5-1 vote during Thursday's California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) meeting, the board decided that during the week running Aug. 23 to Aug. 29, Humboldt and GGF would field simultaneous race meets. Ferndale will run the first of two scheduled weeks of racing this year, from Aug....

A business partnership between performance-figure provider Thoro-Graph, Inc., and the New York Racing Association (NYRA) that had been billed as a "win-win-win" deal for the two parties and advance-deposit wagering (ADW) customers when it first launched in 2017 has gone sour, resulting in a lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court. According to the civil complaint, Thoro-Graph is suing both NYRA and its NYRA Bets ADW platform over the alleged non-payment of at least $333,000 that Thoro-Graph believes is its rightful cut for incentivizing horseplayers to become NYRA Bets...

Five months after New Hampshire gambling regulators and the state's attorney general disclosed that they were investigating the TwinSpires advance deposit wagering (ADW) platform over concerns that the Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI)-owned entity has operated for years without being explicitly licensed there, TwinSpires is ceasing operations in the Granite State. Back in April, Charlie McIntyre, the executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery, which regulates all forms of gambling in the state, told WMUR-TV that "They're not regulated by us, nor do they operate on any confines of state law.......

The California Horse Racing Board will conduct an in-person meeting Wednesday, Aug. 17 beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the Del Mar Hilton. The meeting will be open to the public. Those providing unsolicited public comment on individual agenda items will be limited to two minutes and comments must relate specifically to the agenda items; regarding agenda item #8, Public Comment, no further comments will be permitted after 30 minutes. For those who do not attend, the webcast audio link on the CHRB website will provide a way to listen to...

Edited Press Release The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced Saturday that NYRA Bets, LLC (NYRA Bets), is now available in the state of Michigan for residents ages 21 and older. "NYRA Bets is the best way to bet the races, and we are thrilled that horseplayers in Michigan can download the app today to access NYRA Bets," said Matt Feig, General Manager of NYRA Bets. New users who sign up for NYRA Bets today are eligible to earn up to $200 in a deposit match with a $25...

TVG has unveiled significant improvements to its wagering app (available for both Apple and Android) and has added on-demand GI Kentucky Derby-related content to its OTT WatchTVG app (for Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV). "Our team is always looking at ways to improve the wagering experience for TVG customers and to reinvest in technology upgrades to improve the customer experience and make it easier for new fans," said Kip Levin, CEO of TVG. "These enhanced wagering and handicapping features on our mobile app are the latest example of...