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The 150^th Kentucky Derby goes to post at 6:57 p.m. Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville. It will be the first Derby run since sports betting was launched in the Blue Grass State last September. 

Sports betting industry experts expect the Derby handle to receive a boost in this year due to the growth in legal sports betting in the Commonwealth. 

In 2023, the Kentucky Derby recorded a handle of $188.7 million. That was a 5.4% increase from the previous year. Of course, the Derby isn’t the only major horse race this week at Churchill Downs. Its sister race, the Kentucky Oaks, goes off on Friday. 

Overall, $288.7 million was bet during the 2023 Kentucky Derby Day program, surpassing the $273.8 million from 2022.

The Derby and Oaks are the two oldest continually operating competitive sporting events in the United States, going back to 1875.

FanDuel Combines Horse Racing On Sports Betting App

The introduction of sports betting in Kentucky will bring new bettors into the parimutuel space, FanDuel Director of Racing Andrew Moore told bookies.com in an interview. He believes the Derby will break its record for handle for the third straight year on Saturday. The Derby's purse was increased to $5 million this year, a $2 million boost from 2023.

“It's a very big deal. Horse racing's huge in Kentucky. The Derby is the biggest sporting event of the year in Kentucky. But that said, more people will bet on sports and they're betting on the Bengals, the (Kentucky Wildcats), and others,” Moore said.

RELATED: How Well Would You Do Backing The Kentucky Derby Favorite

FanDuel has integrated horse racing into its sports betting app. Customers are able to bet on sports and horse racing (where allowed) without setting up another wallet or using a sister app. Moore said FanDuel, which has a partnership with Churchill Downs, will be offering its customers a “one of a kind” experience when it comes to betting on the Derby this year, and details of the Fanduel Kentucky Derby promo can be found in our dedicated article.

“Having racing in the sportsbook means that those sports bettors who were interested in the Derby but couldn't really figure out how to bet on horse racing, now have a very accessible way to bet on such a huge event within the state,” he said. “And it's not just within Kentucky, though it is obviously massive in year one. We call racing a ‘flywheel’ product in the sense that it's something that can really differentiate and boost our other products. And I think that ‘flywheel’ effect will be fully in when sportsbook customers are coming to sportsbook to bet on racing.”  

Other states have come online since the Derby a year ago, most notably North Carolina. However, regulators there have not allowed betting on pari-mutuel racing. 

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Where Can I Bet On The Kentucky Derby: State-By-State?

FanDuel Racing is available in 30 states, either through FanDuel, or its partner platforms. 

FanDuel isn’t alone when it comes to online betting for the Kentucky Derby. DraftKings offers pari-mutuel horse racing through its DK Horse platform across 20 states.

 “This will be our second Kentucky Derby with DK Horse, which is exciting as the product continues to evolve,” DK Director of Sports and Racing Johnny Avello told bookies.com via email. “The Derby is always one of the most iconic events in all of sports, and this year will be the 150th running, which should add even more interest.”

Churchill Downs owns and operates TwinSpires, which offers online and retail betting options across the country in 38 states. 

Here is a state-by-state breakdown where online or in-person off-track betting is available on the Kentucky Derby, with each available online platform. 

Kentucky Derby Betting By State 

• Alabama: None
• Alaska: None
• Arizona: TVG, TwinSpires
• Arkansas: TwinSpires
• California: FanDuel Racing, DK Horse, TwinSpires
• Colorado: FanDuel Sports/Racing, DK Horse, TwinSpires
• Connecticut: FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires
• Delaware: FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires, 
• Florida: DK Horse, TwinSpires
• Georgia: None
• Hawaii: None
• Idaho: FanDuel Racing, Twin Spires
• Illinois: DK Horse, FanDuel Sports/Racing
• Indiana: DK Horse, FanDuel Sports/Racing
• Iowa: DK Horse, TwinSpires, TVG
• Kansas: TwinSpires
• Kentucky: DK Horse, FanDuel Sports/Racing, TwinSpires
• Louisiana: DK Horse, FanDuel Sports/Racing, TwinSpires
• Maine: None
• Maryland: DK Horse, FanDuel Sports/Racing, TwinSpires
• Massachusetts: DK Horse, FanDuel Sports/Racing, TwinSpires
• Michigan: FanDuel Sports/Racing, TwinSpires
• Minnesota: DK Horse, FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires
• Mississippi: None
• Missouri: TwinSpires
• Montana: DK Horse. FanDuel Racing
• Nebraska: TwinSpires
• Nevada: None
• New Hampshire: FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires
• New Jersey: TVG
• New Mexico: FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires
• New York: DK Horse. FanDuel Sports/Racing, TwinSpires
• North Carolina: None
• North Dakota: FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires 
• Ohio: DK Horse, FanDuel Sports/Racing, TwinSpires
• Oklahoma: TwinSpires
• Oregon: DK Horse, TwinSpires
• Pennsylvania: DK Horse, FanDuel Sports/Racing, TwinSpires
• Rhode Island: FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires
• South Carolina: None
• South Dakota: Fan Duel Racing
• Tennessee: FanDuel Sports/Racing, Twin Spires
• Texas: None
• Utah: None
• Vermont: TwinSpires
• Virginia: DK Horse, FanDuel Sports/Racing, TwinSpires
• Washington: DK Horse, FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires
• West Virginia: DK Horse, TwinSpires
• Wisconsin: TwinSpires
• Wyoming: DK Horse, FanDuel Sports/Racing, TwinSpires

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Horse Racing Rides High On Derby Day

Stories about the “death of horse racing” have been commonplace for decades. The sport faces major challenges from in and out. Multiple horses being put down, including two on Derby Day last year, has turned public opinion among some against the sport. The Kentucky Derby saw its 2021 winner disqualified months after the fact due to a failed drug test. Bettors were left hanging, however, as all wagers were settled on race days. The number of available tracks in the United States continues to shrink. Golden Gates Field in California is closing in June. 

But the sport continues to draw new trainers, owners, and bettors. Patrons at the track, especially on major race days, are younger. High-end investors overseas are pumping millions into the sports. And in the United States, online betting has thrown it a lifeline.

RELATED: Ultimate Kentucky Derby Betting Guide

“There are some places where it has more challenges than others. And then there's some places where frankly, it's thriving. Kentucky is one of those places. It is doing really well there, whereas California is a bit more challenged,” Moore said “ When you think of horse racing longer term, I think there's places where it will absolutely do very well. It depends on the right funding. It's an expensive sport to run horses. The standard of care for thoroughbred horses is excellent and the cost of keeping horses is very expensive. So it's not a cheap sport to run and there's a lot of bodies associated with making it happen. Kentucky racing is very well funded.” 

Churchill Downs just spent $200 million to upgrade its paddock. 

“Stakeholders like Churchill Downs are willing to really invest in their venue and elevate the experience. Racing really will do very well in those places.”

NFL, Horse Racing A Natural Fit 

And in those places, the crowd may surprise you, Moore said. 

“If you go to Keeneland, that's the real heartland, but there's thousands of people going every day. And the thing that will strike you when you go to Keeneland is how young the demographic is there. Some people tend to talk about horse racing from that kind of lens. Horse racing is going to die. And they say the only people that go are old guys. I would challenge those people to go to Keeneland, to go to Del Mar, to go to Gulfstream during the winter, to go to Churchill (this week), to go to Saratoga in the summer. These places are absolutely buzzing with families, young crowds, high, high-end corporations with superstars there. So it really crosses the spectrum of society.”

The best thing going for horse racing is horse racing, especially for those who can make it to the track. But not all tracks share the same spectacle. 

“How do these tracks that are not the ones I just mentioned survive, if they're fighting for horses and funding? That's going to be a big challenge,” Moor said. “But then on the flip side, there's going to be places where horse racing not only will survive, but it will thrive because it's well funded, it's very well managed and it's got the support of the everyman, not just wealthy owners, but really communities get involved and really love and enjoy the sport.”

Saturday, the crowd at Churchill Downs will be festooned with the traditional hats and other higher-end fashion statements. 

Horse racing in general and the Kentucky Derby specifically has become a magnet for NFL types. Tom Brady will be in attendance on Saturday. Patrick Mahomes gave the “Riders Up” command at last year’s Derby. Bill Belichick has been a Derby staple for years. 

The time of year fits well in the football calendar. “There’s something about football players, for sure,” Moore said. “Horse racing’s biggest time of year is outside of football season, save for the Breeders’ Cup. They’re not back fully into training. And Churchill Downs does a great job of entertaining. They put on a great show and Churchill will take fantastic care of them.” 

RELATED: Kentucky Derby Online Betting

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