TwinSpires Sportsbook alerted customers last week that it will cease sports betting and iCasino operations in Michigan this coming Saturday, while updating its FAQs. It appears that the SI Sportsbook, powered by 888, will take its place, as that site now has an option to select Michigan as an available state in which to play.
TwinSpires announced in February that it would shut down its wagering and iCasino platforms across the country. At the start of the year, TwinSpires offered wagering and iCasino in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and sports betting platforms in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, and Tennessee.
It has already shuttered platforms in Colorado, Indiana, New Jersey, and Tennessee, meaning that sports betting platforms in Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Tennessee are the ones that will remain after the Michigan shutdown.
Nitty gritty of the shutdown
In Michigan, bettors can wager until Saturday, and the site will be up and running to allow bettors to withdraw funds until Oct. 6. After that, TwinSpires will cut and mail checks to consumers who have not claimed funds. According to the FAQs, the site will remain active until Oct. 20 for bettors to review “futures” bets. Those bets “will be settled as normal once the event has ended” and bettors will receive winnings via paper check to the address on file.
Players not wishing to let “futures” bets ride will also have the option to use the “Cash Out” option, void a “futures” bet, or call player services to cancel any bet that will settle after Saturday.
For those wishing to continue to use TwinSpires for the next week, bettors on the site can make deposits and add new payment options until Tuesday.
What’s next?
TwinSpires is currently partnered with the Island Casino and Resort, which is owned by the Hannahville Tribe located on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The company operates a retail sportsbook at the casino, as well as the online platform. Digital operators are required to be partnered with a retail casino in Michigan.
While the Island Casino’s website still lists TwinSpires as its partner, the SI Sportsbook site now has an Island Casino logo on its front page. It also has Michigan on the state-selection dropdown menu along with Colorado and Virginia, which might solve the mystery of who would claim the license. A spokesperson from the Michigan Gaming Control Board told MI Bets Monday, however, that it has “not authorized” a new platform provider for the casino.
SI Sportsbook partnered in June 2021 with European operator 888Sport, in order to combine 888’s wagering experience with SI’s brand recognition in the U.S. The company offers digital sports betting, but not iCasino. SI Sportsbook launched in Colorado last fall and in Virginia in May.
