Twinspires

TwinSpires is a legal US-facing pari-mutuel betting platform. Owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI), it covers a wide range of races conducted in the United States and abroad. It’s also the official partner of the Kentucky Derby. TwinSpires customers are automatically enrolled in CDI’s TSC Elite loyalty program and are able to get exclusive deals from Brisnet.com, a popular CDI handicapping site.

Welcome Bonus

TwinSpires offers a $100 bonus, which is available to all new customers who decide to opt in. This bonus does not come with any withdrawal-related betting requirements. It is, however, split into five $20 installments, and each of them must be cleared by betting $100 on any races. Thus, to clear the entire bonus, you’ll need to wager at least $500. This means that the bonus is comparable to a 20% cashback deal, although this comparison isn’t entirely accurate because the money will be credited to your account whether your bets win or lose.

To put the TwinSpires bonus into some context, it will give you more bang for your buck than the similar bonus offered by BetAmerica, which is equivalent to a 10% cashback deal. And while it won’t outperform the 120% bonus from TVG in terms of overall value, it also won’t require an immediate financial commitment.

Legality and State Restrictions

TwinSpires is legally allowed to offer online pari-mutuel betting services in 30 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Residency in one of the aforementioned states is required to create a TwinSpires account. Thus, if you visit Oklahoma for a short time, but you normally live in Texas, you won’t be able to join the site. In addition, all TwinSpires members have to be at least 18 years of age, with the exception of Washington residents, who must be at least 21 years old.

Betting Platform

TwinSpires customers can log into the betting platform using any modern desktop computer or mobile device. Both versions of the software are entirely browser-based and are identical in terms of functionality, although the mobile user interface is different because of the limited screen real estate.

TwinSpires also offers a downloadable app for iOS phones and tablets, which can be downloaded directly from the official App Store. This app does not have an Android counterpart because Google doesn’t allow any gambling apps in the Play Store.

TwinSpires supports all of the wager types that are available at US racetracks, so from a purely results-oriented standpoint, there is no difference between placing a wager in person and using TwinSpires to do it online. Whether you want to place a straight Win or Place bet, or an exotic bet, such as Exacta or Trifecta, TwinSpires will have you covered. Multi-race exotics, such as Pick 3, Pick 4, or Daily Double, are also available.

TwinSpires also has several features that aren’t available in brick-and-mortar OTB facilities. For example, the BetShare function allows TwinSpires customers to share their wagers with their friends. Every shared wager has a Captain, whose job it is to decide on the details and the number of people who can contribute and share the spoils. In addition, TwinSpires members can join Players’ Pools. Players’ Pools are similar to shared bets, but are operated by TwinSpires staff and are open to anyone who owns a TwinSpires account.

The site facilitates making informed decisions by feeding its members basic handicapping information before they open the betting menu. This includes post position, medication, horse weight, odds, and even Brisnet.com Profit Lines. Last minute jockey changes are always highlighted in red.

Available Racetracks

The up-to-date list of tracks that are operated by TwinSpires’ partners is available under the Handicapping tab on the navigation bar of the TwinSpires page. The list includes hundreds of venues based in the United States and many other countries, including Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The site has a Google map displaying all of the US facilities, but unfortunately this feature is not available for offshore tracks.

Some of the most famous US tracks that are available for betting on TwinSpires include Arlington Park (Illinois), Churchill Downs (Kentucky), Monmouth Park (New Jersey), Saratoga (New York), Pimlico (Mayland), Oaklawn Park (Arkansas), and Del Mar (California).

Video Streaming

TwinSpires operates a video streaming service, which is available for no additional charge to all paying customers. Live broadcasts cover the events hosted at most major tracks, with the exception of Scarborough Downs, which has not signed a partnership deal with TwinSpires’ video provider. Video streaming requires 300 kbps of bandwidth and is compatible with many popular video players, such as WMP, RealPlayer, or Flip4Mac.

Live streaming aside, TwinSpires also has a replay repository with thousands of hours of racing videos. Latest replays can be accessed via the on-site player. Older replays need to be accessed from the Handicapping section and can be browsed by date, track, and race. All streaming features are available on the mobile site and can be accessed via the iOS app.

VIP Program

As mentioned previously, TwinSpires members are automatically enrolled in the TSC Elite loyalty program. At its core, this program is a straightforward, volume-based cashback scheme. All handicappers earn loyalty points for placing wagers. Placing a bet at one of the Churchill Downs tracks awards four points per dollar, and betting at the other tracks awards one point per dollar. These points can then be exchanged for betting credits at the rate of one thousand points for a bonus dollar, or for exclusive Brisnet.com handicapping materials.

In addition, TSC Elite members can attain VIP status by wagering $25,000 or more over the course of one year, or $12,000 or more throughout the course of one quarter. VIP members can purchase Brisnet.com products at a 20% discount and are awarded bonus loyalty points as long as they wager at least $5,000 per month. Depending on their VIP tier, TSC Elite members also get special privileges at the racetracks that participate in the program, such as free concierge services or access to VIP rooms and other special areas.

Other Promotions

Seasonal promotions offered by TwinSpires tend to be racetrack-specific and are available for both Churchill Downs facilities and other US-based tracks. Most deals feature insurance on wagers that meet certain conditions. For example, in Summer 2019, you could get a full refund on $5 wagers placed at Ocean Downs as long as your horse broke its stride. Other popular deals include refunds on Brisnet.com cards, bonus payouts, and mystery bonuses.

TwinSpires also has special promotions for TSC Elite VIP members. For example, in Summer 2019, TwinSpires VIPs could place one risk-free Pick of the Day wager every week.

Banking Options

TwinSpires customers have plenty of deposit methods from which to choose, but some of them are not available across the entire country. Below, you’ll find a list of all the available internet options:

• EZ-Money: This is the default, charge-free deposit option at TwinSpires, permitting immediate access to your funds, while also offering high deposit limits, pending approval from customer support.
• PayPal: Carrying no fees, this option offers immediate deposit processing, with a $1,000 maximum deposit limit.
• EZ-Money Bill Pay: Deposit $1-$500 directly from your online bank without paying any fees.
• MoneyGram: Load up your account with $1-$899 using cash at one of the MoneyGram agent locations; there are no TwinSpires fees.
• PayNearMe: Boasting no fees, PayNearMe allows players to deposit $1-$500 at the local CVS, 7-Eleven, or Family Dollar.
• Green Dot: Charging no fees, Green Dot generates a custom barcode which allows players to use cash to automatically load their accounts with $20-$500 at their local Green Dot retailers.
• Credit Card: For a minimal fee of $5, players may deposit $1-$500 via a credit card payment. MasterCard is recommended over Visa because many Visa-issuing banks do not allow their customers to transfer money to legal pari-mutuel sites.

In addition, TwinSpires supports checks, money orders, and wire transfers. Walk-in deposits are available at Churchill Downs-affiliated racetracks and OTB facilities in Kentucky, Illinois, Louisiana, and Ohio.

TwinSpires customers can withdraw their funds via a traditional check or electronically via EZ-Money. Requests can be placed via the website or over the phone. Cashing out in person is also an option at CDI-affiliated facilities. PayPal withdrawals are available exclusively to handicappers who made a deposit using this method.

Customer Support

TwinSpires customer support operates between 9am and midnight EDT and can be reached during those hours by:

• Live Chat
• Phone at 1-877-774-7371
• Email at players.services@twinspires.com

TwinSpires offers a short virtual tour on its website to familiarize players with the basic features of the platform. The site also has an FAQ section, which contains helpful articles on everything ranging from account creation to alerts, video streaming, banking, and placing wagers. This section also contains several video tutorials, which can guide you through the account creation process and help you place your first bet.