TwinSpires notified customers Feb. 27 that it has suspended online horse race wagers originating from Texas after opening its operations there less than three weeks ago.
The move comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed by the Lone Star State three days before the suspension, asking a state court to enter a temporary restraining order and an injunction against TwinSpires and the owner of the advance-deposit wagering platform, Churchill Downs Inc.
READ: Texas Sues CDI, TwinSpires over Online Wagering
TwinSpires and CDI stopped their service to Texans without the court taking any action.
A contact in Texas forwarded BloodHorse an email he received Friday evening, stating in part, "Effective today, TwinSpires has suspended offering its Advance Deposit Wagering Platform for residents of Texas. ... we will contact you in the future if there are further updates on this situation. Customers are still able to log into their accounts to withdraw funds."
TwinSpires once offered online wagering in Texas. State government responded by enacting a statute allowing horse race wagering only at tracks or simulcast facilities. In 2013, CDI and TwinSpires sued Texas in federal district court, arguing the statute was an unconstitutional infringement on the interstate commerce clause. The court ruled in favor of Texas, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decision on appeal.
In that litigation, CDI attorneys did not raise the question of whether the statute was in violation of the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978.
A CDI spokesperson declined to comment Feb. 28 on whether it will challenge this week's lawsuit.
