2024 Kentucky Derby Betting Guide
- The 2025 Kentucky Derby Happens On May 3, 2025
- Bet On The Kentucky Derby In Every State
- The First Leg Of The Triple Crown
There is no more popular or anticipated horse race in the world than the Kentucky Derby. As the first leg of the vaunted American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred racing, the Derby – and Derby betting odds – are always hugely popular in the mainstream sports media and at sports betting sites everywhere.
Of course, many first-time gamblers might not know how to bet on horse racing and find favorable odds, especially if there’s no racetrack or off-track betting (OTB) location near you. Fortunately, legal Kentucky Derby betting is available no matter where you are in the US or abroad.
2024's Best Kentucky Derby Betting Sites
| Site Name | Current Bonus | Age | U.S. | Visit Site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | 50% Max $1,000 | 18+ |  | Visit Site Review |
| 2 |  | 125% Max $3,125 | 18+ | | Visit Site Review |
| 3 |  | 50% Max $250 | 18+ | | Visit Site Review |
| 4 |  | 25% Max $500 | 18+ | | Visit Site Review |
| 5 |  | 50% Max $500 | 18+ | | Visit Site Review |
| 6 |  | 100% Max $1,000 | 21+ | | Visit Site Review |
| 7 |  | 50% Max $200 | 21+ | | Visit Site Review |
Is It Legal To Bet On The Kentucky Derby Online?
If you’re looking for where to bet on the Kentucky Derby, depending on where you live, you may have legal options at local horse tracks and OTBs. However, regardless of where you live, you can safely bet on the Derby at any online sportsbook operating overseas.
These sites all offer racebooks with plenty of the best Derby bets, and there are no US federal laws (including the IHRA which governs horse racing betting and off-track betting) barring individual horseplayers from risking – and winning – real money online.
For those living in Washington, please be aware that there are state laws barring all online gambling, including KY Derby betting. That said, we’ve never heard of these laws actually being enforced, so you can feel free to gallop ahead and wager at your own risk.
Examples Of Kentucky Derby Odds
The top offshore Kentucky Derby betting sites have odds posted long before Churchill Downs does, usually hitting the boards several weeks prior to the main event. These change day to day, but online horse bets at the sites featured here are house-banked, so you don't have to worry about diminishing returns on Kentucky Derby morning line odds or post odds on race day.
Remember, at tracks, domestic OTBs, and domestic online betting sites, you won’t know exactly how much you stand to win until all betting is closed, but when you use an offshore racebook, you will have your wagers locked in at the rate advertised when you place your bets.
The best legal online racebooks have the following Kentucky Derby odds posted on their futures boards:
2024 Kentucky Derby Field
Sierra Leone
Fierceness
Forever Young
Catching Freedom
Just A Touch
Dornoch
Stronghold
Resilience
Track Phantom
Honor Marie
Endlessly
Domestic Product
Mystik Dan
Just Steel
Encino
T O Password
West Saratoga
Catalytic
Deterministic
Grand Mo the First
Common Defense
Epic Ride
Society Man
2024 Kentucky Derby Favorites
All the best online racebooks have posted Kentucky Derby odds, and the following three-year-old Thoroughbreds seem to be getting the most buzz. The following odds are via Bovada Racebook, but all reputable betting sites have the top horses in roughly the same order.
- Sierra Leone +300
- Fierceness +300
What Is The Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Derby is the most famous Grade 1 stakes race in the world for 3-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Also known as “The Run for the Roses,” “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports,” and “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,” the Derby is held annually on the first Saturday in May. The venue, since its inception, has been the racetrack at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
The KY Derby is the single most bet-on and viewed horse race on the planet, and as the first leg of the US Triple Crown, it provides bettors with an excellent preview of the rest of the popular series.
The 2024 Kentucky Derby marks the 150th running of the race, and it will set the stage for the following pair of Triple Crown races: the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.
Should a strong horse win the Derby, that horse will always be the big favorite for everyone betting on the Preakness Stakes. Then, if that favorite indeed takes the Preakness, Belmont Stakes betting will hit a fever pitch as everyone anticipates the next great Triple Crown champion to emerge.
How To Bet On The Kentucky Derby
There are three separate ways you can bet, and each one has its benefits. Of course, online gambling is always going to be more convenient than wagering at an OTB location or a racetrack with simulcast Kentucky Derby odds, and that’s the method we recommend. Nevertheless, your three legal gambling options are the following.
Online Racebooks
The sites listed here could technically be considered OTBs, though they operate outside of the United States and don’t offer pari-mutuel wagers. Instead, these are house-banked odds where your payouts are 100% locked in the moment you place your wagers.
Mostly, the lines will mimic the current Derby odds presented by domestic operators and Churchill Downs itself, but the fact that your odds can’t shrink from the time you wager till the time the Kentucky Derby results come in is enticing for most gamblers who want their sure thing to be a sure thing.
Because of the guaranteed Derby payouts and support for all kinds of exotic wagers, we recommend these sites above all other Derby wagering locales. Plus, you can legally bet on sports and play casino games and poker tournaments at these operators, too!
In-Person Racinos
You can gamble on live Derby odds at racetracks around the country. Obviously, Churchill Downs turns the biggest handle of them all, but if you have a racetrack in your area, chances are they’ll be offering Derby odds in the leadup to the race as pooled wagers come in from tracks around the nation.
Here, you will simply fill out your Derby betting slip and turn it into the operator at the booth. Make sure to hang on to your receipts, as you’ll need them to claim your payouts!
OTBs
Off-track betting for Kentucky Derby races is big business, and nearly all US states with legal racinos have OTBs that accept wagers on the event. Most of these also have simulcast broadcasts of the race and its undercard, so you won’t miss a minute of the action, no matter which participating state you’re in.
Over 40 US states offer OTB horse racing gambling, and submitting your ticket works similarly to how you wager on horses at a proper track. Again, keep your stubs handy because you can’t get your Derby payouts without them.
Note: You can also wager online through a few domestic operators. Most states (40+) with legal horsebooks allow the placing of online horse wagers, and these can be thought of as OTB terminals themselves. If you’re physically located in participating states, you may be able to download a racino app to an iPhone or an Android to streamline the process and allow you to gamble on the go.
Mobile Racino Apps
As you’re probably used to with sports betting, Kentucky Derby betting can be carried out via your mobile device. However, when you use an offshore racebook like those listed here, you won’t actually be able to find an iPhone Kentucky Derby app or Android Kentucky Derby app that lets you make real money wagers.
Instead, these sites offer horse betting “web apps.” All you need is any reasonably modern smartphone or tablet, an Internet connection (Wi-Fi or 3G/4G/LTE/5G), and a free site membership to the book of your choice. With these, you can wager from literally anywhere, whether you’re sitting in Millionaire’s Row at Churchill Downs itself or you’re hosting a Kentucky Derby party at your elegant estate (or in your tiny apartment).
With mobile betting, you’ve basically got your bookie in your pocket or purse, and all you need to complete the ensemble is one of those bold Kentucky Derby hats for women and one of those famous Kentucky Derby drinks. (And for the latter, there’s definitely an app for that!)
2024 Kentucky Derby Prep Races
Horse racing predictions are often handicapped by how well a given horse does in the qualifiers, known as the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Because the field is limited to the top 20 horses in the world, it takes several races to determine which ponies deserve to make the big race.
Typically, there are three regions for this tournament: The US, Europe, and Japan. In total, there are expected to be 36 qualifying races across these regions, and the horses that accumulate the most points earn automatic berths in the Kentucky Derby itself. Usually, four "alternates" are also invited, which are inserted into the race if there are any late scratches or disqualifications.
