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As the number of legal online sportsbooks continues to grow around the country, one form of sports betting has enjoyed a huge head start. While sports betting in general is legal in only a handful of states so far, betting on horse racing is legal in well over half of the states in the US.
Betting on horse racing online is a fast-growing industry, but there are a few sites that really stand out as market leaders. TwinSpires is definitely one of the best sites to bet on horses in the US. TwinSpires has a robust website and a dedicated mobile app available to well over 100 million US residents.
In this review, we take you through exactly what makes TwinSpires such a good option for betting on horse racing legally in the United States.
Our experts have examined everything TwinSpires has to offer, including:
We also provide helpful guides to signing up, claiming your bonuses, and depositing and withdrawing your funds.
Live streaming and instant replays
Exclusive rewards program
Huge variety of bets
$200 Sign-Up Offer
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$25 referral bonus
Picks from horse racing experts
Promo Code '200TVG'
Get your first single horse wager back up to $200
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TwinSpires bonus promo code | None |
Welcome bonus | $100 |
Physical racetrack | Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY |
Website URL | https://www.twinspires.com/ |
TwinSpires was created in 2007 as the official online betting site of the Churchill Downs betting company. The site and app are both multi-state, meaning that they are available in multiple states around the US, and also feature betting on races from multiple states and even on races from tracks around the world.
Some of the main things to know about TwinSpires:
If you are a fan of betting on horse racing, TwinSpires is a must-have on your phone. The sheer number or race tracks available, the range of bets and the convenience of betting on the go means you never have to miss an opportunity.
Even if you aren’t such a big fan of horse racing but love sports betting, TwinSpires could be your opportunity to get into that world. It’s very possible you live in a state where you can not legally bet on sports, but can easily bet on horse racing.
We are big fans of TwinSpires, and in the following sections we’ll go into more detail about what we like about the site.
TwinSpires is currently available in 30 states.
Remember, you can download the app, access the website and create an account from anywhere but you must be physically in one of the legal states to place a bet.
It’s also important to note that TwinSpires is always expanding its availability and this list is likely to be added to, so remember to check back for updates.
Here is the full list of states in which TwinSpires is currently legal and available:
After a thorough review, our experts were big fans of the TwinSpires site. The website does a great job of not filling the screen with too much information, which could easily be overwhelming for beginners.
Instead, the homepage has a list of the latest offers at the top of the page with the upcoming races listed below them in chronological order. This makes it really easy to log in and bet on a race starting in the next minute or two.
Even if you navigate away from the homepage, the “Up Next” races always appear in a little panel at the bottom of the screen, so you can always easily find the next possible race to bet on.
The menu at the top of the screen never changes. If you are looking for a specific race, you can choose “Bet Now” which allows you to see the full calendar of races, as well as results, replays and carryover information.
If you are not on the homepage, you can simply hover over any of the menu options to release a drop down menu which helps you navigate around the site.
Other options on the menu at the top of the screen include:
All of this information is scaled down effectively on the TwinSpires app, which has exactly the same functionality as the website. Find more sportsbook apps in your state.
Having an extensive support section is especially useful for new players, and our experts were impressed with the amount of resources available.
To place a bet, simply navigate to the race of your choice and click on the horse you want to bet on. You have the option of making a “Quick Bet”, which places the bet there and then, or “Save Bet” which adds it to your Bet Slip for further consideration.
The Bet Slip allows you to add multiple bets and decide exactly what kind of bet you would like to place – singles, combinations, multi-race combinations and loads more. We found the Bet Slip to be intuitive and really useful for creating whatever bet you want. The Bet Slip works exactly the same way on the app too which is great.
TwinSpires also allows you to watch live races and highlights of previous races, both on the website and the app. All you need to do is select the play button icon, and choose what you want to watch.
Another feature we like which works great on both platforms is the ability to save certain races or tracks for the future by clicking the star icon beside the track. This allows you to return to the tracks at a later date.
Both the website and app work really well and have a similar format. We especially love how functional the app is for betting and watching races while on the go.
Most online sportsbooks offer signup bonuses to entice new users to the site and TwinSpires is no exception. As well as sign up bonuses, ongoing promotions and offers are a great way to keep users engaged. After reviewing a ton of sports betting websites, it’s interesting to see how horse racing makes for some really interesting promotions.
Our experts were generally impressed with the bonuses and deals on offer from TwinSpires. The promotions are valuable and can make a genuine difference to how much users win.
It’s common for these promotions to change over time, but below you can find the offers that our experts found:
This is TwinSpires’ main sign up bonus. Once you fulfill the terms and conditions, you will be credited with $100 in bonus cash. Like most bonuses that award free cash, there are some strings attached.
In order to unlock your free $100, you must complete $500 in wagers within 30 days of opening your account. This means it will probably take a little while to unlock the money, and you’ll need to have a run of good luck to unlock the entire bonus without topping up your account with a bit of your own money.
With slightly lower wagering requirements this bonus could be a bit more friendly to beginners. In general, though, it’s hard to argue with free money bonuses.
Every time you invite a friend to join TwinSpires and they sign up using your code, you receive a $10 free bet. You can send your code to as many people as you want and just wait to see who signs up. Even better, your friend who signs up will also receive a $10 free bet so it’s a win-win.
This is a nice and straightforward bonus, and has the potential to be very valuable if you end up inviting a lot friends.
This is one area TwinSpires really excels. Our experts found dozens of short term promotions which can give you a huge edge if you take advantage of them regularly.
Examples include money back offers if there is a certain outcome in the race (like your horse falls), enhanced odds on combination bets, free picks from the handicapper for certain races and many more.
TwinSpires like to create specific promotions for the biggest races, so make sure you check out their bonus page before you bet on the most high profile races on the calendar.
Our experts found that TwinSpires is really competitive both in terms of the range of bets available and the number of tracks you can bet on.
Featuring hundreds of tracks from every corner of the world means you will always be able to log on and find something to bet on. The site’s video feature means you can even watch many of your bets come in live as they happen. It’s awesome to be able to bet on and watch one race in Europe followed by a race from the other side of the US, all from the comfort of your home.
The menu of bets on offer at TwinSpires is big and will appeal to a really wide range of gamblers.
If you are a beginner, or just want to stick to what you know, you can just opt for a horse to win the race, place (finish first or second) or to show (finish first, second or third).
The “Quick Bet” feature is perfect for win bets, and is a great way to keep things simple at the start. However, once you start adding multiple selections to your Bet Slip you will find tons more options. For example, single race combinations like exactas, trifectas and superfectas are all easy to make using the TwinSpires software.
If you want to get more complicated, you can look at multi-race combinations like daily-doubles, pick 4, pick 6, and even pick all.
In the opinion of our experts, if you are an experienced bettor you’ll find everything you need on TwinSpires. If you are a beginner, there is plenty to learn and loads of information and guides to betting in the support section.
Having a lot of options for deposits and withdrawals is important. It’s a headache when you try to cash out only to discover that your preferred method isn’t available. Our experts were satisfied with the range of options available on TwinSpires, with better options for depositing than withdrawing overall.
Furthermore, using a fully legal and regulated site like TwinSpires means that whatever method you choose, your money is protected and safe.
During the tests, our experts found no issues with either depositing or withdrawing from TwinSpires. The whole process is logical, fast and easy.
Below is a list of all the methods for both depositing and withdrawing on TwinSpires:
We have created this table to help you compare the different transaction options and processing times at TwinSpires
Method | Deposit | Withdrawal | Processing Time | Minimum Deposit | Max Deposit | Fees |
EZ-Money (Bank Transfer) | Yes | Yes | Instant | $10 | $100 for first deposit, $1,000 afterwards | No |
PayPal | Yes | Yes | Instant for deposits, 3-5 days for withdrawals | $10 | $500 per day | Not from TwinSpires |
Deposit via Online Bill Pay | Yes | No | Instant | $10 | None from TwinSpires | No |
MoneyGram | Yes | No | Instant | $10 | Varies | $3.95 |
PayNearMe | Yes | No | Instant | $10 | $500 per 24 hours | $3.99 |
Green Dot @ The Register | Yes | No | Instant | $20 | $500 per 24 hours | $4.95 |
Visa | Yes | No | Instant | $10 | $500 per day | $5 |
MasterCard | Yes | No | Instant | $10 | $500 per day | $5 |
In-Person at Certain Race Tracks | Yes | Yes | Instant | $10 | None | No |
Check | Yes | Yes | Withdrawals mailed the next business day | $10 | None from TwinSpires | Not from TwinSpires |
Money Order | Yes | No | Processed immediately but varies depending on mail time. | $10 | None from TwinSpires | Not from TwinSpires |
Wire Transfer | Yes | No | Up to 24 hours | $10 | None from TwinSpires | $10 for deposits under $1,000, no fees for deposits over $1,000 |
TwinSpires has made the sign up process easy for new users.
During the tests, our experts found that the whole process only takes a couple of minutes and it’s simple enough even for beginners.
To sign up with TwinSpires, just follow the following steps:
As you can see, the process is very straightforward. Once your account has been created and your identity verified, you can deposit using one of the methods described above, and start betting straight away.
TwinSpires is subjected to strict and unique regulations in each of the 30 states in which it’s available. This means that the company works closely with the dedicated regulatory bodies in each state to make sure that the site operates legally.
If TwinSpires is available in your state, it means the site has received a gaming licence from the local gaming commission.
This also means that you can trust TwinSpires with all of your personal information, funds and banking details. All data of this nature is private, and will not be shared with any third parties. Similarly, your money is protected and safe when it is in your TwinSpires account.
This is a major difference between using sites like TwinSpires and betting using unregulated offshore sites. With offshore sites, there is always the danger that you will not be able to withdraw your winnings. This is never something you need to worry about using TwinSpires.
Our experts are completely satisfied with TwinSpires from a security point of view, and have no hesitation in recommending the site.
Our experts found the customer support on offer at TwinSpires to be detailed and helpful.
The “Support” button is always visible in the menu at the top of the screen, and clicking on it gives you several options to help troubleshoot any problems you may encounter.
You can scroll through a long list of FAQs on loads of topics, as well as search by keyword. Often our experts found the answer to common issues in this section.
If not, there are options at the top of the screen to contact TwinSpires directly, either via phone, email or instant chat. We found the instant chat to be the best option. We only had to wait less than a minute for an agent to respond, and they answered all our questions professionally and effectively.
As well as customer support about practical issues, the “Support” section contains lots of helpful information and tips about horse racing and betting in general. If you are a beginner and not familiar with some expression or type of bet, chances are you can find the answer in the FAQs section.
Overall, in our experts’ opinion, the customer support at TwinSpires ticks all the boxes.
Having gone through the entire site with a fine-toothed comb, our experts found a lot to like about TwinSpires.
The website and the app share all the same functionality and they both make it easy to bet on horse racing from the comfort of your own home or on the go.
TwinSpires is constantly adding new features and refining existing ones too, so we have high hopes for the future.
Here are a few of our favorite things about TwinSpires:
No site is perfect, and our experts also found a couple of ways the TwinSpires could improve:
Review Site | Rating | No. of Reviews |
Apple App Store | 4.8/5 | 66,200 |
Google Play Store | 4.6/5 | 594 |
Trustpilot | N/A | N/A |
TwinSpires is owned by Churchill Downs, one of the biggest betting companies in the US and the owner of the famous Kentucky Derby. The company has been around in some form for over 100 years, but it wasn’t until 2007 and the advent of online horse race betting that TwinSpires was created.
TwinSpires was designed to be Churchill Downs’ official online betting site. Since it was affiliated with one of the most recognizable betting companies in the US, TwinSpires quickly grew in popularity. The site became even more extensive in 2010, when Churchill Downs acquired Youbet.com.
The advances in technology allowed TwinSpires to expand its range of services even further over the following years, most notably with the introduction of live streaming video.
Today, TwinSpires is available in 30 states in the US. The site features tracks from around the world and is growing every day.
Our experts have no hesitation in recommending TwinSpires. For horse race betting it really comes down to either TwinSpires, TVG, or BetAmerica and they’re all great options.
Online sports betting is growing every day in the US, but betting on horses online is still far more widely available. If you don’t live in a state with legal sports betting, we definitely recommend betting on horses as an alternative.
We love how TwinSpires has made itself suitable for both beginners and experienced players. There are loads of racetracks and interesting kinds of bets available, but also plenty of guides and support to be found on the site too.
Even if you’re not interested in learning about the more complicated side of things, it’s easy to just stick to simple bets with the Bet Now option.
The ability to watch races live on the platform is an amazing feature. The regular promotions are a great addition to keep users interested. We love the customer support and we’re happy with the banking side of things too.
Although there are a few minor details with the platforms we would change, overall the TwinSpires experience is a super positive one.
Make sure to use our links when you sign up, so that you get the best possible bonus.
Horse Race Betting Site |
TwinSpires | TVG | BetAmerica |
Rating |
⭐ 4.8/5 |
⭐ 4.5/5 |
⭐ 4/5 |
Bonus | $200 SIGN-UP BONUS | $250 SIGN-UP BONUS | $200 SIGN-UP BONUS |
Top Features |
✔ Live streaming and instant replays✔ Exclusive rewards program✔ Huge variety of bets |
✔ $25 referral bonus
✔ Picks from horse ✔ Live streaming in HD |
✔ Huge variety of bets
✔ Great mobile app ✔ Beginner friendly |
States License In |
Currently licensed in 30 states. |
Currently licensed in 32 states. |
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana |
Payment Methods |
EZ-Money PayPal Deposit-Online Bill Pay MoneyGram PayNearMe Green Dot@The Register Visa MasterCard In-Person Check Money Order Wire Transfer |
Visa MasterCard BetCash Green Dot MoneyPak PayPal PayNearMe TVG Prepaid Card Money Order & Checks Wire Transfer Deposit with Cash at the Track |
Visa MasterCard PayPal ACH Transfer Online Banking PayNearMe PlayPlus Prepaid Card Skrill Cash at the cage |
Support | 24/7 Instant Chat Phone |
Email Phone |
Live Chat Phone |
Yes. TwinSpires is legal to use in 30 states of the US. You can check out the full list above.
Yes. TwinSpires has a dedicated mobile app available for iOS and Android.
Yes. Although you can create an account and log in from anywhere, in order to bet you must be physically located in one of the legal states to place a bet.
Yes. TwinSpires offers a sign up bonus and other regular free bet promotions. The exact nature of the bonuses tends to change, but use our links when you sign up to make sure you get the best bonus.
Yes. Our experts were happy to report that TwinSpires has odds that are competitive with the other top horse race betting sites.
Billy “Krackman” Krackomberger has made his living as a professional sports gambler for nearly three decades. You have seen him on ESPN, Gaming Today, and SiriusXM. His connections in the sports gambling industry run all the way to the top. His bets move the lines and regularly have him banned from books for being too sharp. Email: [email protected]
More info on Bill Krackomberger
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