Michigan Horse Racing Law

On the heels of winning a preliminary injunction last month in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platform TwinSpires on Tuesday scored a victory in its overall federal lawsuit against the state of Michigan. On Jan. 6, the lower-court judge in charge of the case issued a summary judgment in favor of TwinSpires, meaning Michigan can't make that ADW partner with a brick-and-mortar racetrack in order to do business in that state. The operator of TwinSpires, Churchill Downs Technology Initiatives Company (CDT),...

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...