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Best Kentucky Derby Betting Promos & Bonuses 2024

Mark Strotman for Bookies.com

Mark Strotman  | 7 mins

Best Kentucky Derby Betting Promos & Bonuses 2024

$20 No Sweat First Bet on Horse Racing

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Used 30 Times Today
Must be 18+ to participate. Terms and conditions apply.

Spring is in the air and that means it’s time to start getting ready for the Run For The Roses, with the annual Kentucky Derby set to take place on Saturday, May 4. The first leg of the Triple Crown will provide plenty of opportunities for Horse racing betting fans to win big at any of the online sportsbooks delivering odds and bonuses for the two most exciting minutes in sports.

Below, we’ve listed out the top betting apps in the industry and spelled out their welcome bonus offers that are available for all qualified bettors in the lead-up to the race in Kentucky. Before everyone heads to Churchill Downs for the race, here’s what you need to know about these offers.

FanDuel Kentucky Derby Promo

FanDuel Racing is the horse racing-only sidekick to the FanDuel Sportsbook app! This app allows bettors to place wagers on horse races even in states where sports betting is not fully legalized. The FanDuel Racing app currently has two great offers available for customers. For users located in non-sports betting states (AR, CA, DE, ID, FL, MN, MT, NH, NM, ND, OR, RI, SD, WA), you can get a $500 No-Sweat First Bet. This allows you to get back up to $500 in racing site credits if your first wager loses on any race, including the Kentucky Derby. You'll get one week to use them, so be sure to place them once they hit your account. More information about the Fanduel Kentucky Derby promos can be found in our dedicated article.

If you are located in a regulated sports betting state (AZ, CO, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV, WY), Fanduel will give you a $20 No-Sweat First Bet for Kentucky Derby betting online! Just bet $20 on the big race and if your bet loses you will get back $20 in racing site credits. You will have until June 10 to use your credits. This offer is available for both new and existing customers.

$20 No Sweat First Bet on Horse Racing

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Twinspires Kentucky Derby Betting Promos

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One of the most popular spots to place your online horse racing bets, Twinspires has a terrific offer available for all new players in the lead-up to the Kentucky Derby. Players who sign up now will receive $200 in bonus bets, which are paid out in $100 increments for every $400 wagered. 

While this may seem steeper than some of the offers, the bonus bets are guaranteed and you’re eligible to earn cash profit on those real-money wagers you place.

DRF Bets Kentucky Derby Betting Promo

The Daily Racing Forum has been in operation since well before the internet existed (1894, to be exact) so you know they’re the go-to experts on all things horse race betting. 

They’re delivering the goods once again for the Kentucky Derby, providing all new players with a first-bet offer of up to $500. Earn cash profit on your first real-money wager or receive matching bet credits in return for a second chance to earn back your funds on whatever you wagered on at the Kentucky Derby.

$20 No Sweat First Bet on Horse Racing

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Used 68 Times Today
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BetMGM Kentucky Derby Betting Promo

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The Kentucky Derby may be the biggest horse race of the year, so it makes sense to also use the biggest welcome bonus offer on the board for new players. That’s what you’ll get with the  BetMGM bonus code BOOKIES, which delivers all new players a first-bet bonus up to $1,500 when they register for an account.

Your first real-money wager will earn you cash profit with a win or matching bonus bets back with a loss. So even if your Kentucky Derby choice comes up short, you’ll have an opportunity to earn back your original funds with a do-over to get your bets correct.

Caesars Kentucky Derby Betting Promo

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The Kentucky Derby winner will feel like royalty, and so will those who sign up for a new account using the Caesars Sportsbook promo code BOOKIES1000. 

Register before the race and earn a First Bet On Us up to $1,000. Either you’ll pick up cash profit on the first bet you place, or Caesars Sportsbook will give you a single matching bonus bet back for a second chance to win back your original funds.

DraftKings Kentucky Derby Betting Promo

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We know DraftKings has an outstanding daily fantasy sports app and is an industry leader in online sports betting, and they’ve really turned the corner on their horse race betting offering, too. Players can download the DraftKings DKHORSE app for free on Apple or Android and receive a 100% deposit match up to $250 when they register for a new account using the, DraftKings Promo Code offer. There’s a 2x playthrough requirement on the bonus bets you receive, so you can get started early and have your winnings ready for the Derby.

How to Bet on The Kentucky Derby

There’s certainly some analysis that goes into betting on horse racing. Past results, jockeys, trainers, course conditions, and position all play a factor. Then again, these are animals that are prone to anything that we’ll never be able to quantify.

Still, favorites are favorites for a reason—and there are plenty of handicappers analyzing the aforementioned factors that spit out the horses they believe will perform best. That’s where underdogs come into play. We don’t have to look far for long-odds winners, with Country House (30/1 in 2019) and Animal Kingdom (21/1 in 2011) coming to mind. Research and reading analysis will always come into play in horse race betting, and knowledge is power in what is a short race with a huge impact on both the industry and potentially your pockets.

Types of Kentucky Derby Bets

As opposed to bets on sports like basketball, baseball, or hockey, horse race betting isn’t necessarily a winner-take-all outcome. 

Bettors certainly will be able to place wagers on the horse they believe will win the Kentucky Derby, but there are also available wagers on a horse to place (second) or show (third), with trifectas acting as a parlay where you wager on the exact outcome of the top-3 horses. There will be dozens of different betting options for players to bet on during the Kentucky Derby, and each of them comes with their own perks.

$20 No Sweat First Bet on Horse Racing

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Used 58 Times Today
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About the Author

Mark Strotman for Bookies.com
Mark Strotman
Mark is a veteran sports betting journalist who has covered the Bulls and the NBA since 2012. His work has appeared on ESPN.com, FoxSports.com, The Chicago Tribune and Yahoo Sports. He regularly provides NBA betting picks, as well as in-depth sportsbook reviews and the latest promo codes for all the major sports gambling operators, including Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel and more.