TwinSpires Sportsbook brings online sports betting to Michigan via Churchill Downs Inc. If that name sounds familiar that’s because it’s behind one of the highlights of the racing calendar, the Kentucky Derby!
Sports betting in Michigan is a breeze using this well-established brand, and for residents of Michigan online casino is also just a few clicks or taps away, as well as a dedicated section for horseracing. The whole site makes sports betting online a straightforward and fun experience.
If you’re reading this TwinSpires Sportsbook review to find out if Michigan sports betting is legal, then have no fear. In Michigan online gambling is legal and this is a completely legitimate site, fully licensed to operate in the Wolverine state.
Churchill Downs Interactive Gaming, in partnership with the Hannahville Indian Community, first launched an online sportsbook (accepting in-person wagers) in 2020, with the fully online offsite experience going live on January 22, 2021.
Accounts may be opened and managed from anywhere, but sports betting laws require all gambling activity to be located within the state of Michigan.
The best Welcome Bonuses give new players not just extra value when betting on sports but also extra fun, and that’s something TwinSpires Sportsbook has really got right with its $1,000 risk-free bet!
Here are the bonus details:
The Free Bet you receive cannot be withdrawn, but any winnings from that bet can be used however you wish – including going straight to your pocket!
Whatever your game, TwinSpires Sportsbook’s excellent selection of regular promotions will help you maximise your winnings. TwinSpires Michigan 2021 promos currently include:
Place a pre-match spread wager of $50 or more on any Wednesday night NBA game and receive $1 for every 3-pointer made. This can be used up to three times every Wednesday, with a maximum $40 payout per game. Available April 21 – July 14, 2021.
Place a pre-match moneyline betting wager on any Tuesday MLB game. If your team is winning after 5 innings but loses the game, you’ll receive your wager back as a Free Bet. This can be used up to three times every Tuesday, with a maximum $50 payout per game. Available April 20 – July 13, 2021.
Place a parlay bet involving three or more legs to receive an odds boost relative to your parlay – the more legs you bet, the bigger the boost, up to a maximum of 50% extra for an 8+ leg parlay. Maximum bet per parlay is $100, with bonus payouts capped at $5,000 per bet. This can be used up to seven times each week. Available February 15 – July 12, 2021.
Place a pre-match moneyline wager of $50+ on any Thursday NHL game, and receive $1 for every save made by your selected team’s goalie. This can be used up to three times every Thursday, with a maximum $40 payout per game. Available April 22 – July 15, 2021.
Regularly get boosted odds on a selection of sporting events. These change daily and require no opt-in, but may be subject to maximum stakes.
Some sportsbooks offer a very attractive Welcome Bonus, only to then give existing customers little to get excited about.
That’s certainly not the case with TwinSpires Sportsbook, as the selection of promos for existing players not only includes various sports, but also provides an additional fun twist by using promos where payouts depend on sporting outcomes (saves made, 3-pointers made, etc.).
Of course, that’s not to say that the Welcome Bonus available here is anything less than stellar! We’re hard-pressed to thnk of another new player bonus with such generous, immediate rewards on offer.
And for TwinSpires Sportsbook users in Michigan online casino is only ever just a few clicks or taps away.
The loyalty program at TwinSpires Sportsbook is aimed squarely at big-spending horseracing fans rather than casino or sportsbook players, using the same program (the TSC Elite card) as you’d find at the track. When other operators are able to reward play for casino or sportsbook, there’s no reason for TwinSpires Sportsbook to continue to ignore this section of their customers.
The selection of sports available is fantastic, and the dedicated horseracing section of the site makes it easy to find the race you want, but it would be nice to be able to place wagers on other markets such as Academy Award winners, elections or other non-sporting contests.
The TwinSpires Sportsbook app brings the full site experience to your Apple or Android mobile device.
Downloading the app is simple – head to the Apple App Store to grab it for your iPhone or iPad, or download the Android version directly from the TwinSpires Sportsbook site itself. Almost all recent devices are compatible, but if you have any queries about compatibility contact customer support.
Once downloaded you’ll find all the functionality of the TwinSpires Sportsbook is available on your mobile device, including promotions and the Welcome Bonus. The app also includes easy access to TwinSpires’ online casino games.
Don’t forget that, for both the desktop and mobile versions of the software, all users must be within the state of Michigan for any activity involving sports betting online.
Major domestic sports and leagues available at TwinSpires Sportsbook include: NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, PGA Tour golf, MLS, UFC, Bellator, NASCAR, ATP tennis, NCAA college sports, boxing, US Open tennis and more besides.
International sports and competitions include: Champions League soccer, the English Premier League, La Liga, Kontinental Hockey League, Formula One, rugby, road cycling, darts, Aussie Rules Football, and plenty more.
The Wolverine State has plenty of pro teams in multiple sports, as well as a number of Division I schools taking part in NCAA competition.
Professional teams in the state include:
The state does not currently have a representative in Major League Soccer (MLS), having failed with a recent bid to launch an expansion team.
The large number of universities in the state also gives rise to a number of collegiate teams across numerous sports. These include:
Betting markets is the term used to describe different opportunities to bet on various events. For example, an NBA game would typically offer betting markets such as moneyline (win/lose), points spread and over/unders, but also other events like combined points/rebounds/assists by player, winners of each quarter, etc. Click or tap on any matchup to view the various markets on offer.
Once you’ve identified the game you want to bet on, a number of different bet types are available. These range from straight moneyline bets on a single event happening or not, to things like props, parlays and system bets. Let’s take a closer look at these different bet types.
These wagers predict a specific outcome such as total corners in a soccer match or field goals in a football game. ‘Player props’ are similar, but focus on an individual’s achievements during a contest, e.g. player X to record a triple double, or to score the first points of a game.
These bets combine multiple events into a single wager, either across completely different games (or even sports), or within the same game itself. An example of the former might be a wager on the Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans and Detroit Pistons all to win their games, while the latter might look like a soccer match with both teams to score, with over 3.5 goals and a draw. With parlays your odds are multiplied, so even betting favorites can be more profitable than you might imagine.
These special combination bets act similarly to parlays, but use a number of separate distinct bets to cover more eventualities. For example, betting on three teams to win using a ‘trixie bet’ uses four different bets: 3 x doubles plus a treble on teams A, B and C to win. This means that even if one team loses, you have covered that eventuality and will still win a profit. TwinSpires Sportsbook offers handy ‘System Bet’ and ‘Bet Builder’ buttons to make this type of bet much easier to set up.
Sports betting online is simple to do at TwinSpires Sportsbook, even if you’re new to the game.
First, select a sport using the category list. This highlights the most popular sports and contests, but it’s also possible to drill down into the categories to find the specific event you’re looking for. Let’s say you’re looking to bet on a baseball game.
Once you have found the game you’re looking for, you’ll see the moneyline odds on each team to win. To get deeper into the markets available, click or tap on the game itself.
This will open a menu of different bet types and markets, including the most popular wagers, player props, parlays and more. When you’ve selected a wager, click it to add it to your betslip.
Your betslip is displayed on the right of your screen – think of it like your online shopping cart – and once a wager has been added, all you need to do is specify the amount you wish to bet. Check it’s all correct, review your potential payout, and hit the ‘Place Bet’ button. You’re all set!
Odds can be displayed in a number of ways, including decimal and fractional, but will default to American/Moneyline. Each different method of displaying the odds will offer the same effective odds, so just pick whichever method you’re most comfortable with.
In Michigan sports betting can now be easily done online, and the same goes for managing your account. Whether you’re moving funds onto or off the site, the process is smooth and straightforward.
| Deposit | Withdrawal | |||
|
Payment Method | Minimum / Maximum | Process Time | Minimum / Maximum | Process Time |
| Visa | $10 / $9,999 | Instant | NO/NO | N/A |
| MasterCard | $10 / $9,999 | Instant | N/A | N/A |
| Paypal | $10 / $9,999 | Instant | $0.01 / $9,999 | Instant |
| ACH | $10 / $9,999 | Instant | N/A | N/A |
| Online Banking | $10 / $9,999 | Instant | $0.01 / $9,999 | 2-5 days |
| Twinspires Prepaid Play+ | $1 / $2,000 | Instant | $0.01 / $25,000 | Instant |
| Skrill | $10 / $9,999 | Instant | N/A | N/A |
| Check or Money Orders | N/A | Instant | N/A | 7-10 days |
Once you’re account is set up and verified, making a deposit is simple.
Funds will be made available for you to use instantly.
Withdrawals can be requested in a number of ways.
Online: open the ‘My Account’ > ‘My Funds’ > ‘Withdraw’ menu, and choose your amount and payment method.
By Phone: call the Player Services number, confirm your identity and request your withdrawal. Note that not every payment method will be available for telephone withdrawals.
In Person: bring two forms of ID to the US Bank kiosk located at any of the following racetracks: Churchill Downs, Keeneland Racetrack, The Red Mile, Scioto Downs, Emerald Downs, Arlington Park (and its OTBs), and Fair Grounds Racecourse (and its OTBs).
Customer support is available via the usual channels you would expect, specifically email, telephone, FAQ and Live Chat.
Safety and security is paramount, which is why choosing a bookmaker with a license from the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) is essential if you’re going to be online sports betting in Michigan. This license guarantees that the operator is regulated and above board, and we can confirm that TwinSpires Sportsbook is fully licensed.
Security cuts both ways: to combat money laundering and associated crimes any licensed online sportsbook needs to verify and confirm your identity. This involves your social security number and may also require a government-issued ID.
As part of its license requirements, TwinSpires Sportsbook must ensure that all customers are over 21 and located within the state of Michigan while using the service. The ID requirements stated above address the former issue, while the location of users is confirmed using geolocation technology in the form of a plug-in. This is downloaded automatically when the software is first installed, so requires no action on your part.
Communication between your device and the site is protected by SSL encryption.
TwinSpires Sportsbook is operated by Churchill Downs Interactive Gaming, and licensed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) in partnership with the Hannahville Indian Community.
It’s easy and fast to create a new account at TwinSpires Sportsbook.
Head to the site (or open the app) and hit ‘Join Now’ to launch the new player registration process. Follow the instructions on-screen, and don’t forget to enter ‘FREE1000’ to claim the Welcome Bonus! There are just three screens to fill in, and the process takes barely a minute.
Here’s what you’ll need to have handy:
You’ll then be able to set up your username, password and security questions.
Sorry, but this is not possible at this time; you’ll need to create a new account for TwinSpires Sportsbook and Casino.
Log in and click on your name at the top of the lobby, then choose the ‘Account History’ option to view and manage details of your account, as well as review your active bonuses.
Yes, depending on the odds and amounts won. Winnings of over $600, or 300-to-1 odds, automatically generate a W2G and a report to the IRS. Automatic withholding may take place for winnings of over $5,000 or 300-to-1 odds.
Log in and click on your name at the top of the lobby, then choose the ‘Tax Statements’ option
If you’re looking for a new place to wager, and have come to this TwinSpires Sportsbook review to get the lowdown on the best Welcome Bonuses around, then I think you’re probably pretty happy right now! The $1,000 risk-free Welcome Bonus is one of the best offers we’ve seen when it comes to Michigan sports betting.
We also love the regular stream of recurring promotions for existing players, which is an area not every sportsbook puts enough effort into. What’s more, many of the promos – such as how many 3-pointers will be scored or how many saves a goalie will make – have an unexpected element which just adds to the fun. Add to this the fact that many are specific to certain days of the week, and most can be taken advantage of more than once, and TwinSpires Sportsbook’s promotions are some of the best around.
If we’re being fussy, we’d like to see a universal loyalty program that operates across casino, sports and horseracing, and which is inclusive enough to automatically add new customers.
But as things stand there is plenty to attract new gamblers to TwinSpires Sportsbook, and more than enough to keep them coming back for more. Give it a try today and see what you think!
