Kentucky Derby Sets $349 Million Betting Record
People Love to Bet on Run for the Roses and for Good Reason!
First Leg of Triple Crown Attracted Plenty of Bettors
Horse race betting has its biggest day on the first Saturday in May. Hardcore and casual bettors are attracted to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby. One doesn’t have to be a fan of the sport of kings to be involved with a race that has been destination viewing for decades.
The 2025 Kentucky Derby, which was won by Sovereignty, was the featured event on a 13-race card at the track. People at the track, those with online accounts, and this year, folks with sports betting accounts that were open to horse racing wagering, pounded the races to the tune of $349 million, a record handle.
The winner of the #KentuckyDerby151 is Sovereignty!!
Congrats to everyone that cashed💰🐎💰🐴💰🏇💰🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑#Derbyday #HorseRacing #gamblingX #GamblingTwiter pic.twitter.com/Ob3DKen4li
— BetUS Sportsbook & Casino (@BetUS_Official) May 3, 2025
What Was the Previous Record?
If one bets on horse racing, they know the record handle was set for the third straight year. In 2024, there was $320.5 million bet throughout the Churchill card on the first leg of the Triple Crown. While the handle this year was a record, the attendance at the track was far from that. Yes, it rained, but that wouldn’t keep anyone away who spent their money to attend the festivities.
In 2015, when American Pharoah won the Derby, there were more than 170,000 people at the track. On Saturday, there were 147,000-plus. Despite the drop in attendance, people still bet $108 million at the track. With the way people play on online casinos in 2025, it makes sense in casino news that there was a great deal of money wagered off-track.
It is important to understand that people who have online accounts at sites like BetUS and others can now wager on horse racing, along with other sports and casino games, through these platforms.
Caption This:#KentuckyDerby151 #Sovereignty #DerbyDay #GamblingTwitter #gamblingX #HorseRacing pic.twitter.com/tiG9BwNEQf
— BetUS Sportsbook & Casino (@BetUS_Official) May 4, 2025
Another reason why the handle is so large is that people can bet in smaller denominations than many years ago when there were $2 bets as a minimum on most pools. Gambling regulations have changed over the years. There are racetracks where one can make wagers for as low as a dime on superfectas and other exotic bets. It might seem counterintuitive that smaller wagers make for bigger pools but think about how many more plays bettors can make when looking to make a big hit in an exotic wager, Pick Six, Pick Five, Pick Four, etc.
There are more and more betting options on Derby Day. There are even multi-day wagers like the Kentucky Oaks-Kentucky Derby double. If you get knocked out of a Pick Six, come back with the Pick Five. Lose on the Pick Five, play the Pick Four, and so on.
The Derby remains the most iconic day on the Thoroughbred Horse Racing calendar. Everyone likes a horse because of its past performances or its name. Who doesn’t want to be involved in the action when the Run for the Roses occurs? And that is why every year the betting handle on Derby Day sets records.
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