Xpress Bet Becomes Michigan’s Third Online Horse Racing Betting Option
Michigan horse racing fans have a third option to place online bets.
Xpress Bet was approved Wednesday for a temporary license to take bets, the Michigan Gaming Control Board announced.
Xpress Bet becomes the third advance deposit wagering platform available in Michigan, joining TVG and TwinSpires.
The addition of ADW allows horse wagering from your phone. This capability is part of expanded gambling laws signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in December 2019. That same package also enabled online sports betting and internet gaming, which launched Jan. 22.
Xpress owned by Canadian company 1/ST
Xpress Bet reached a third-party facilitator deal with Northville Downs, Michigan’s only horse racing track, with terms undisclosed. Ontario company 1/ST controls the Xpress Bet platform. The agreement is a requirement of the new laws.
1/ST is the first Canadian operator to be approved in Michigan for any online wagering, much less horse racing bets.
TVG, part of the FanDuel Group, went live last June. TwinSpires of Churchill Downs Technology Initiatives Co. went live in September, just before the delayed 2020 Kentucky Derby.
“Michigan horse racing fans now have a third option for betting on horse races from anywhere in the state using mobile wagering,” MGCB Executive Director Richard Kalm said in a statement. “It’s a win for horse racing fans who want more choices in convenient mobile wagering providers, and the horse racing industry hopes to tap additional funding through this betting format.”
The state of Michigan levies a 1% tax on wagers processed through third-party facilitators.
The Kentucky Derby opens the 2021 Triple Crown season on its traditional date of May 1.
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