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Best Kentucky Derby Betting Sites – Where to Bet on the 2024 Race

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The Run for the Roses provides fantastic wagering opportunities. We have identified the best Kentucky Derby betting sites so you can make the most of those opportunities.

All of the online racebooks above offer multiple betting options and favorable odds, and they are safe and reliable service on every level.

These horse race betting sites welcome new players, and for big events like the 2024 Kentucky Derby, you may be able to take advantage of generous promotions.

There’s more about these top-rated sites below, along with information on the types of Kentucky Derby wagers available and details on the benefits of betting the Kentucky Derby online.

Assessing the Best Kentucky Derby Betting Sites

Our researchers use a well-developed checklist to examine every aspect of the Kentucky Derby betting sites that are on our radar. We cover all relevant factors, and we hold the sites to exacting standards.

How we assess the best Kentucky Derby betting sites

Licensing

For the most part, anyone can establish a website without going through a licensing process, but things are very different when it comes to gambling websites. With limited exceptions, online sports and racebooks hold licenses, so they are beholden to rules and regulations.

This does not mean that every Kentucky Derby betting site with a permit is completely trustworthy, though, because the licensing requirements vary depending on the jurisdiction.

We have a thorough understanding of this aspect of the business. You can rest assured that the operators of the sites that we recommend have gone through comprehensive vetting processes. They have proven their solvency, and they have safeguards in place to protect players.

Longevity and Reputation

An online race and sports betting site is not going to be around for very long if they don’t satisfy their clients on a consistent basis. The operators that have been around for years must be doing something right, so we place a premium on longevity when we are ranking sites that offer betting on the Kentucky Derby online.

There is also the matter of reputation among players and industry insiders. We regularly visit relevant forums, and we have developed an information sharing network. Our top-rated sites get consistently high grades from players and independent reviewers alike.

Payouts and Deposit Options

Winning is the name of the game when you’re betting the horses online. It’s important to choose a racebook that you can rely on for prompt payouts. This is a factor that we weighed heavily when we ranked the top sites for Kentucky Derby wagering.

This race has global appeal, and we recommend sites that accept players from different countries. This being stated, a very significant percentage of people that bet on the Kentucky Derby online are American.

Internet-based wagering in and of itself is not technically illegal in the United States. However, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 prohibits certain monetary transfers related to online gaming.

As a result, you have to be concerned about your ability to make deposits at the online race and sportsbooks. It can be done in a legal manner in spite of this law, and select betting sites take all of the right steps to pave the way for American gamblers.

When we evaluated the sites, we paid close attention to the deposit methods. The websites that made our list make it very easy for US players to transfer funds into their betting accounts.

Wagering Options

Horse racing enthusiasts are well aware of the fact that the Kentucky Derby offers extraordinary wagering value. This is because of the exceptionally large field and the overall quality of the horses.

Because there is so much money to be made, you don’t want to miss out on betting possibilities. Our researchers kept this in mind when putting our rankings together. We identified sites that offer all of the most popular wagers, and we will look at them more closely in another section.

Customer Service

If you’re going to develop a monetary relationship with an internet-based company, you may have concerns about your ability to communicate with someone to resolve issues that may arise.

Without question, customer service is a key factor, and you can rest assured that you will receive world-class attention at all of our recommended Kentucky Derby betting sites. You can speak with representatives over the phone, and they offer real-time chat and email communication.

Betting Interface

There is cold, hard cash on the line when you’re using a betting site to place your wagers. You have to be able to navigate the site effectively because there is no margin for error. The websites that passed our litmus test are very easy to use, and the interfaces are not too busy or spammy.

Mobile Adaptability

A lot of people like to watch the Kentucky Derby at sports bars, and there are house parties as well with the traditional mint juleps and plenty of food.

Most people want to bet the race when they are out and about, so mobile adaptability is a key factor. Every online betting website that has made the grade with us can be easily accessed from your smartphone.

Benefits of Betting the Kentucky Derby Online

Since it is such a highly anticipated sporting event, there are physical locations around the United States and other countries where you can bet on the Kentucky Derby. All horse racing tracks will simulcast the first leg of the Triple Crown, and in the UK and Australia, there are betting shops everywhere.

In spite of this availability, betting the Kentucky Derby online offers some significant advantages.

Five benefits of betting the Kentucky Derby online

If you are already familiar with race and sports betting online, you are well aware of the advantages. On the other hand, if you have been reluctant to take the plunge, what are you waiting for? Seize the opportunity!

There can be crowds at the race track or off-track betting facility at any time, but it is at a fevered pitch on Derby Day. The experience can be suffocating, and there are always those annoying people that decide to do their handicapping at the window.

If you wait too long to get in line, you can get shut out of the biggest race of the year. On the other hand, if you act too soon, you don’t get to see late movement of the odds.

Traffic woes and parking expenses can enter the picture as well, and you have to pay double the normal price to get a beer or a cocktail.

You completely avoid all of these hassles when you open an account at one of our approved Kentucky Derby betting websites.

In addition to the high level of convenience, there are a couple of other major benefits that go along with internet-based horse race wagering. The Kentucky Derby betting sites will typically offer premiums and promotions on the first Saturday in May. Something for nothing is always a good thing.

Plus, all the research tools that you could possibly want or need are at your fingertips when your virtual racebook is on a table in front of you or sitting in the palm of your hand.

What Types of Kentucky Derby Bets Are Offered?

There are numerous ways to bet the Kentucky Derby online. Our recommended sites go the extra mile to provide just about all of the options you would find at Churchill Downs.

The main wagering options available at Kentucky Derby betting sites

Win, Place, and Show Wagering

The most common type of Kentucky Derby wager is a straight bet on the horse that you like to win the race. For win, place, and show wagering, the minimum bet is $2, so the payouts that are posted after a race are the returns for a $2 bet. If you bet $20, you just multiply the payout amount that you see by ten to determine your winnings.

Fractional odds are used for win bets in the sport of horse racing. For example, you would win two units for every unit that you bet on a victorious horse that went off at odds of 2/1. A $2 bet would result in a payout of $6: a $4 win coupled with the $2 you put out to make the wager.

If you pick a winner with odds of 5/2, you will win five units for every two units wagered. So if you bet $2 on a winning 5/2 shot, you would win $5, and the $2 bet would be returned to you for a total payout of $7.

In many instances, the exact odds will fall somewhere between two intervals. As a result, a $2 bet on a horse with odds of 2/1 may not produce a win of exactly $4. It could be $4.20, $4.40, $4.60, or $4.80. If the potential win was $5, the odds would be moved to 5/2.

Pari-mutuel pools are used to determine odds on races in the United States. They are based on the amount that is wagered on each horse, so the odds constantly change as bets are made.

We should point out the fact that in the United Kingdom and Australia, they offer fixed odds. They are set by the bookmakers; the betting public does not influence the odds.

Unlike pari-mutuel wagering, when you make a fixed bet on a 2/1 horse, those odds are etched in stone for you. As the starting time of the race gets closer, the book may change those odds, but you would still get 2/1.

Getting back to American betting pools, place wagers are bets on a horse to come in second, and show bets are for third. If a horse wins outright, and you have a place and/or a show bet on the winner, you get paid.

There are pari-mutuel pools for these wagers, but they don’t post the odds. They do show how much money has been bet on each horse for place and show, so you can estimate.

Many people will bet horses “across the board.” This is a term for placing a wager on a horse to win, place, and show. In the UK and Australia, a win and place wager on one horse is called an “each way bet.”

Depending on the size of the field, you can win the place part of an each way bet if your horse comes in third or even fourth if there are 16 or more entrants.

Exacta Betting

Another type of wager that is offered at the top Kentucky Derby betting sites is the exacta bet. With an exacta, you pick the horses that will come in first and second.

You can bet a straight exacta in the correct order, and you can alternately play an exacta box, which would give you a winner in either order. A box is essentially two straight exactas, so you have to put out $4 to box two horses for a $2 base bet.

It’s also possible to box more than three horses in an exacta. For instance, you could bet #1, #2, and #3 in a three-horse box, and if any of them come in first and second, you win. This would cost you $12 because you’re betting six different combinations for $2 each.

A four-horse box for $2 wager units costs $24, for five it’s $40, and for six you are looking at $60.

Since there are usually 20 horses starting in the Kentucky Derby, exacta payouts can be robust because the betting is spread around. For this reason, an exacta box with four or five horses could make sense.

Usually, when the fields are smaller and less competitive, it’s not wise to use too many horses. You could bet a five-horse box that cost you $40 and wind up with a “winning” ticket that pays $16.

Trifectas

A trifecta is a single bet on the horses that will finish in first, second, and third, in the right order. The minimum betting amount for a trifecta in the Kentucky Derby is $.50, and people will often play trifecta boxes.

It would cost $3 for a three-horse trifecta box for $.50 because there are six possible combinations with regard to the order of finish. You are essentially making six straight bets for $.50 each. A four-horse box would cost $12, and it would cost you $30 to box five horses.

Superfectas

The superfecta is another type of wager that is available at the top Kentucky Derby betting websites. With a superfecta, you have to pick the top four finishers.

Because there are so many combinations, the tickets can be expensive if you box a number of horses. To account for this, the minimum superfecta wager is typically just ten cents. However, it is raised to $1 for the Kentucky Derby.

A four-horse box would cost $24. It would be $60 for five horses, and a six-horse superfecta box would be a $120 wager. It’s not uncommon to see five-figure superfecta payouts, and there have been six-figure superfecta scores.

In 2009, Mine That Bird won the race at odds of 50/1, and the payout for the superfecta was $278,503.20.

Horizontal Wagering

Exactas, trifectas, and superfectas are forms of vertical wagering because you are going down the line in the same race. There is another type of betting that horse players call horizontal because you are looking ahead at a series of races.

You have to pick the winner of a number of consecutive races when you place this type of bet. There are Pick 3, Pick 4, and Pick 6 bets available that include the Kentucky Derby.

Always Dreaming capped off the final leg of the Pick 6 back in 2017 with a Kentucky Derby win, and there was one winning ticket sold that paid $857,335.40.

Bet Kentucky Derby Futures Online

Futures betting allows you to place a wager on a horse to win the Kentucky Derby well in advance of the race.

The online racebooks will start posting odds very early in the year, but it’s a long road to Louisville, and many things can go wrong along the way.

More Kentucky Derby Betting Advice and Info

You can become an authentic Kentucky Derby expert if you tap into all of the resources that we have on our website. We have another comprehensive page that is devoted to the history of the race, record-setting performances, and the most notable installments over the years.

If you spend some time digesting this information, you can enjoy the race from a deeper perspective.

We also keep a close watch on all of the relevant Kentucky Derby news that unfolds throughout the racing season. You should certainly be fully informed for gambling purposes, and the content that we share is interesting, timely, and fun to read.

You can find all of the above by simply clicking the button below. We urge you to visit us often because there are frequent updates.

Any serious horse player will tell you that the Kentucky Derby provides truly unique betting opportunities that can be quite lucrative. As we have stated, there is a large field, so betting dollars are spread around considerably.

You can usually find some juicy odds on horses that have a legitimate chance.

We have developed the definitive strategy guide for wagering on the race at the Kentucky Derby betting websites. You should definitely take advantage of this learning opportunity before you place your bets, and it is available to our readers free of charge.

Finally, there is also our horse racing blog that you can access to read some posts that put the Kentucky Derby under the microscope. Our research team also provides focused information about other major horse races and sporting events of interest.

In short, we not only give you the best Kentucky Derby betting sites, but pretty much everything you need to bet on the Kentucky Derby successfully.

Finally, if you like to bet on your mobile device, check out our guide to the best Kentucky Derby betting apps.

Kevin Roberts
Kevin Roberts Administrator
Kevin Roberts, previously published under the pseudonym Noah Davis, is one of the more diverse writers at GamblingSites.com. Like many of his colleagues, he's a huge fan of both football and basketball. But he also writes about box office records, TV show prop bets, DFS, and all kinds of other subjects. When it comes to the NFL, Kevin's favorite team is the Green Bay Packers. He enjoys cheering them on with his wife and daughter. More Articles by Kevin