Michigan’s live racing has shrunk to a single harness meet: the original Northville Downs track ran its final card in February 2024, and the Northville Downs license now races at the Barry Expo Center in Hastings — while you can still bet the whole national schedule from your phone.
Advance-deposit wagering continues under a federal court injunction, with apps like TwinSpires taking Michigan bets while a licensing dispute with the state plays out. You must be 18 or older to wager.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board oversees racing in Michigan. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Best Michigan Horse Racing Betting Sites
Our top-rated advance-deposit wagering (ADW) apps for Michigan bettors. Tap to open the operator’s official sign-up page. 18+. Terms apply.
- ★ EDITOR’S PICK
AmWagerEditor’s pick★ 4.8 / 5100% First Deposit Match up to $50 · Promo Code AMWAGERDeposit $50, bet $50, get $50 in bonus wagering credits
AmWager lists Michigan as an available state, so residents can open an account and bet thoroughbred, harness and quarter horse racing from around the country (greyhound wagering is not offered here). Its conditional, Dutch and rank wagering tools, plus bulk wagering by file upload, suit serious handicappers. Accounts are for bettors 21 and older.
Key terms: New AmWager customers only; first deposit only; Bet the amount of your first deposit (up to $50) within 30 days of opening the account; Show bets, cancelled and refunded wagers don't count; Bonus credits land within seven business days and expire after 30 days; winnings from them are cash. Full terms apply — see our AmWager review. Please play responsibly. -
TwinSpiresBest for coverage★ 4.7 / 5$200 Sign-Up Bonus · Promo Code BET200$100 in bonus cash for every $400 you wager, up to $200
TwinSpires, the wagering platform of Churchill Downs Inc., has kept taking Michigan bets under a federal court injunction after the Michigan Gaming Control Board tried to suspend it in 2025, and the Sixth Circuit upheld that injunction in December 2025. It is the natural home for Kentucky Derby betting, with live races and replays on both the website and the app.
Key terms: Wager $800 within 30 days of opening your account to earn the full $200; Bonus paid in $100 increments for every $400 wagered; Show wagers don't count; bets count once the race is official; Credited within 10 business days; one per household. Full terms apply — see our TwinSpires review. Please play responsibly. -
NYRA BetsBest for big meets★ 4.5 / 5$25 Free Bet + $200 Deposit Match · Promo Code CUP25A free bet on sign-up, then 100% of your first deposit matched up to $200
NYRA Bets, the New York Racing Association's own platform, names Michigan in its account terms, where the minimum age is 21. It offers free live video, with HD coverage of Saratoga and Belmont Park, up to three streams at once, and free handicapping picks. Exacta, trifecta and superfecta tickets are quick to build with box, key and fill options.
Key terms: $25 free bet credit on sign-up; unused credit is removed after 14 days; 100% match on your first deposit up to $200, made within 30 days of opening the account; Wager twice your deposit within 30 days to unlock the match; Show bets, futures, phone wagers and cancelled bets don't count. Full terms apply — see our NYRA Bets review. Please play responsibly.
TwinSpires offers a $200 sign-up bonus to new customers. The bonus cash is credited in $100 increments for every $400 in completed wagers.
At NYRA Bets, newcomers receive a $25 free bet, as well as a 100 percent matching first deposit bonus worth a maximum of $200.
Horse Racing & Betting in Michigan
One harness meet — the Northville Downs license now races at the Barry Expo Center in Hastings after the original Northville track closed in February 2024.
Michigan no longer has a permanent racetrack: live harness racing continues under the Northville Downs name at the Barry Expo Center in Hastings, including the Michigan Sire Stakes finals.
Online wagering is permitted under a federal court injunction; TwinSpires continues to take Michigan wagers while litigation with the state plays out. NYRA Bets, TwinSpires and AmWager are top horse racing betting apps and sites available to Michigan horse bettors. Use our promo codes to claim your welcome offers and bet horses with improved odds. Bettors must be 18 and, where required, physically within the state.
The signature races to know are the Michigan Sire Stakes finals for state-bred standardbreds.
More on Racing in Michigan
Michigan's horse betting scene is thriving. Since going live in January 2021, the state has become a hotspot for online betting, with 12 licensed sportsbooks competing to deliver the ultimate wagering experience.
Michigan horse bettors can live stream races via 1/ST Bet, NYRA Bets, DRF Bets, Dayatthetrack.com, AmWager, FanDuel Racing (formerly TVG) and TwinSpires.
Online Horse Betting in Michigan
A once thriving industry, as recently as 2007, Michigan horse racing consisted of six-track offering competition in both standardbred and thoroughbred racing. The sport was a $1.2 billion dollar-a-year injury in the Wolverine State.
Today, live horse racing in Michigan consists of one licensed meet: standardbred racing under the Northville Downs name at the Barry Expo Center in Hastings, after the original Northville track closed in 2024. There is also fair racing offered at Croswell, Charlotte, Big Rapids, Barry, Fowlerville, Harrison, Huron, Ludington, Hart, Chippewa County, Allegan County and Centerville. At one time, other tracks in the state included Hazel Park, Sports Creek, and Detroit Race Course, with both harness and thoroughbred racing offered in the state.
Popular Online Horse Bet Types & Races
With a win bet, the horse must win the race. Place wagering provides a payday for finishing either first or second. A show bet comes in if the horse finishes anywhere in the top three. An across-the-board wager pays off on any or all of the top three spots in a race.
Exacta wagering requires the horses to finish 1-2 in the exact order bet. A trifecta needs the horses bet to finish 1-2-3 in the exact order played. Superfectas are calling the exact order of finish of the top four horses in a race. All of these wagers can be boxed, enabling the horses wagered to finish in any order.
A daily double wager is picking the horses to win consecutive races. Pick 3 and Pick 4 wagering takes the daily double-style wager to encompass more than two races.
Major US Horse Betting Events You Can Bet On In MI
There are four racing series offered for Michigan-sired and Michigan-bred horses ages two, three, and four, and operated by the Michigan Harness Horsemen’s Association. There are the Breeders Stakes, the Great Lakes Stakes, the Sires Stakes, and the Colt Stakes.
These competitions are held over an eight-week circuit – seven weeks of fair racing and one week at Northville Downs. Champions in each division are determined based upon cumulative earnings from each eight-race series.
Horse Racing Betting Legal Status in Michigan
Could horse racing be on the comeback trail in Michigan? In 2021, the Michigan Senate Agriculture Committee voted unanimously to approve a four-bill package aimed at bringing back a once $1.2 billion horse racing industry to the state of Michigan.
The proposal would allow state casinos to offer simulcasting on racing, permit video lottery terminals at racetracks and enable Historical Horse Racing (HHR), an electronic gaming system that uses pari-mutuel wagering on randomly selected outcomes of previously run live horse races.
Michigan Racetracks
Northville Downs @ Barry Expo Center · 1350 M-37 Hwy, Hastings, MI 49058
Live standardbred racing under the Northville Downs license.
Michigan Horse & Sports Betting Summary
You can bet on sports and horse racing online in Michigan using fully licensed apps.
You can also place legal horse racing bets through TwinSpires, AmWager and NYRA Bets, where welcome bonuses reach up to $200, plus a $25 free bet at NYRA Bets. These platforms cover major races such as the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Breeders’ Cup, along with live and simulcast action from Northville Downs.
Both sports betting and horse betting are available to players 21 and older, with mobile apps offering live wagering, race streaming, and fast payouts across Michigan.
How to Bet on Horse Racing
New to the windows? Start with the straight bets. A win bet needs your horse to finish first; place pays if it runs first or second; show pays for first, second or third. They are the cheapest way to learn the game.
From there come the exotics, where the real payouts live. The exacta asks for the first two home in order, the trifecta the first three, and the superfecta the first four. Multi-race bets — the daily double, Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 6 — string winners together across races, and the Pick 6 jackpot can roll into life-changing money. Our guide to exotic bets walks through each one, and the beginner’s guide to betting on racing covers the basics end to end.
How to Start Betting on Racing in Michigan
- Pick a racebook and sign up.
Tap a “Visit” button above to open an ADW account. You must be 18+ and within state lines where required.
- Claim the welcome offer and deposit.
Fund the account by debit card, bank transfer or PayPal and activate any new-customer bonus before your first wager.
- Find a race and place your bet.
Browse the day’s cards, read the form, pick your horse and bet type, and confirm. Watch the live stream and collect if you win.
Michigan Horse Racing Betting Sites and Apps (November 2026)
Michigan Horse Racing Betting FAQs
Is online horse race betting legal in Michigan?
Yes. Online wagering is permitted under a federal court injunction; TwinSpires continues to take Michigan wagers while litigation with the state plays out, overseen by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
How old must you be to bet on horses online in Michigan ?
21 for pari-mutuel horse wagering.
Which racetracks run in Michigan?
One harness meet — the Northville Downs license now races at the Barry Expo Center in Hastings after the original Northville track closed in February 2024.
Which apps can I use in Michigan?
Our top-rated picks are AmWager, TwinSpires and the other ADW apps listed above. Online wagering is permitted under a federal court injunction; TwinSpires continues to take Michigan wagers while litigation with the state plays out.