With the rollout of BetMGM Racing, MGM now offers the whole gamut of online gambling products in Michigan — including an online sportsbook, online casino, and online poker room. BetMGM has segued into online horse race betting after partnering with the New York Racing Association and its betting portal, NYRA Bets.
Best Horse Racing Site in Michigan
With the BetMGM racebook, Wolverine State customers can get in on the action on a variety of international and domestic horse races, held at 200-plus tracks across the globe. The horse racing app features wagering options across all core racing formats — thoroughbred, quarter horse, and harness. You can get started via desktop or the app for iOS/Android. It’s up to you.
This review will analyze BetMGM’s brand new horse betting portal. We’ll comb through the most important features to help you determine how it fares against other racebooks in Michigan.
BetMGM Horse Racing Michigan welcome bonus
As versatile as it is, BetMGM Racing has a few shortcomings, most notably the lack of a welcome bonus. It’s probably only a matter of time before the site releases an intro promo for horse racing newcomers. Such a bonus could resemble the one at NYRA Bets — a 100% first deposit match up to $200.
This could make sense as BetMGM Horse Racing already utilizes the NYRA platform and will likely go with a similar roster of promotions upon launch in Michigan. If BetMGM does go with something similar, the NYRA welcome bonus comes with a 2x playthrough requirement and a clearance time frame of 30 days. Show and future bets are excluded from this bonus.
This sign-up offer is in line with other racebooks, both in size and associated terms and conditions. It’s a far cry from what sports bettors can get at BetMGM, but nonetheless, it would be a deal worth checking out.
BetMGM Michigan Horse Racing bonus code 2024
| Online Racebook | BetMGM Horse Racing Michigan |
|---|---|
| BetMGM Promo Code | TBD |
| Sign Up Bonus | TBD |
| Last Updated | December 2024 |
Is BetMGM Horse Racing legal in Michigan?
Not yet, but it will gain market access via its new partner, NYRA Bets. The subsidiary of the NY Racing Association got the green light from the Michigan Gaming Control Board in October 2021. Under the licensing terms, NYRA Bets can offer pari-mutuel wagers on live and simulcast races in Michigan.
The MGCB legalized online horse betting in June 2020. Since then, several providers have launched, including TVG and TwinSpires.
How to create a BetMGM Horse Racing account in Michigan
You can sign up for an account at BetMGM Racing and get your horse race bets rolling within minutes. Here are the steps to get started:
- Visit the BetMGM racebook and select the registration button.
- Follow the on-screen prompts and provide the necessary details (username, password, last four digits of your Social Security number, email, phone number).
- Agree to the terms and conditions and verify your information.
- Log in to your account and go to the cashier page to make a deposit.
- That’s it. You’re all set. Make sure to enable the geolocation software so that BetMGM can verify your location.
Downloading the BetMGM Horse Racing app
BetMGM Racing is available via its app for iOS and Android. Both versions have a solid design and offer the same features as the website, and more importantly — the same betting program. To download the app, follow these few steps:
- Fire up BetMGM Racing via your mobile browser.
- Go to the mobile page and look for links that correspond to your device’s OS.
- From there, you might be redirected to the appropriate download page on Google Play or the App Store.
- From there, installation is self-explanatory. Just make sure to turn on your GPS locator so BetMGM can verify your location. If it’s unable to do so, you won’t be able to bet, per the state’s gambling regulations.
BetMGM Horse Racing promotions
Promotional giveaways have always been BetMGM’s calling card, so we expect to see lots of deals on its Michigan horse racing app. NYRA has a variety of rotating promos, many of which are for high-profile races, and BetMGM will likely follow suit.
During the Preakness Stakes or a race of similar prestige, for instance, BetMGM Racing could offer insurance on certain bets, reload bonuses, odds boosts or other incentives. Then, there’s M life Rewards, the loyalty program that BetMGM is part of. It will likely become integrated with the brand’s racebook at some point.
Available bets at BetMGM Horse Racing in Michigan
BetMGM’s wagering options are solid and thorough. You can put a few bucks down on a variety of straight bets, parlays and side wagers. Minimum bets start at $0.10, which is great news for casual and risk-averse handicappers in Michigan. Let’s go over the most popular types of bets at BetMGM:
- Win: This bet pays if your chosen horse wins the race.
- Place: Your pick must either win the race or finish as the runner-up.
- Show: With this wager, you get paid if your horse finishes “on the board” — i.e., in one of the top three places.
- Exacta: This is a more challenging wager, one in which you must predict the winner and the runner-up of a given race in the correct order.
- Quinella: Similar to an exacta, but the two horses you pick can occupy the top two spots in either order.
- Trifecta: You have to predict the top three finishers in the correct order. If you get it right, the payouts can be massive.
- Superfecta: This wager is not for faint-hearted bettors, as it requires that you pick the top four horses in a given race in the right order.
- Double: Pick the winners of two successive races.
- Pick 3 to Pick 6: Here, you have to successfully choose the winning horses across three or more consecutive races. The more races (legs) you add to your slip, the harder it is to win, but the bigger the potential payday.
It’s worth mentioning that you can alleviate some of the risks by boxing your picks, which amounts to a “cover all bases” approach. When you box your selections, it doesn’t matter the order in which they finish. For instance, if you box an exacta wager, your picks can finish in either order. It’s only important that they’re among the top two finishers. The trade-off is that a box bet costs more than a straight bet. The more horses you box, the higher premium you have to pay.
Live horse race streaming
BetMGM will offer access to live streams of the action, depending on the race in question. An important caveat is that you place a bet on the event you want to watch live. If you missed out on the race entirely, you can order a replay and see it from multiple camera angles.
Other features
At BetMGM Racing, you’ll have access to a statistical analysis of upcoming races. From data regarding previous performances and track properties to insights about the jockeys, these stats will help you make more informed bets.
There’s also a blog page where pro tipsters and horse race experts release their picks for the upcoming races. You shouldn’t follow these blindly, but you would be remiss not to pay attention to what the experts have to say.
What races can I bet on with BetMGM Racing in Michigan?
By teaming up with the NYRA, BetMGM has secured an all-access pass to the races at more than 200 venues worldwide, including Northville Downs. The selection covers the most elite events in the US as well as high-profile meets in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Here are some of the main races on which you’ll be able to bet:
- Kentucky Derby
- Preakness Stakes
- Belmont Stakes
- Dubai World Cup
- Grand National
- Melbourne Cup
- Royal Ascot
Banking options at BetMGM online horse racing
BetMGM offers a solid range of payment methods you can use to make deposits and withdrawals. Deposits start at $10, while the minimum withdrawal amount maybe $20, depending on the method. On average, the processing time on payouts hovers around 24 to 48 hours. Here are the banking options you’ll have at your disposal:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- VIP Preferred
- PayPal
- PayNearMe (via 7-Eleven)
- Online banking
- BetMGM Play+ card
Why join BetMGM Horse Racing?
The short answer is that it’s a quality horse racing portal, which will only get better. BetMGM can’t rest on its laurels, though, as it faces fierce opposition in Michigan, including two of the biggest racebooks in the country in TwinSpires and the TVG racing app.
Despite being a tenderfoot, BetMGM Racing is right up there with these giants in racing coverage and betting variety. Live streaming and race replays will also win major points among avid handicappers, and the tipster page is a nice touch.