But bettors seem to prefer convenient, legalized online gambling and shouldn't have to worry about those options.
Without an online option, people may have to travel miles to place a bet on the Kentucky Derby, or try their luck with offshore sportsbooks. Texas does not allow online bets on horse racing, but visitors to racetracks can bet on in-person races and on races simulcast from elsewhere. North Carolina, for example, doesn't allow bets at horse tracks and only allows bets at two tribal casinos. The regulations vary widely in other states, with some allowing online betting but others only letting people bet at certain casinos.
But six states (and Washington, D.C.) still allow no betting at all on horse racing. It's actually easier in many states to bet on horse racing than on other sports, since horse racing was exempt from the 1992 federal law that banned most sports betting. Voters, politicians, and regulators are increasingly allowing sports betting. In the eight months since the pandemic-delayed 2020 race, legalized online sports betting is quickly being normalized. When the horses run Saturday evening in the Kentucky Derby, there's a good chance more people than any point in recent history will have a bet on the race.
