Which Websites Allow Betting on the Kentucky Derby If Under the Age of 21?

No online gambling site will take bets from those under the age of 18.  But the age group of 18 to 21 are fair game when it comes to horse bets while many sites restricted those under the age of 21, mostly based on the state.  Let's take a peak at where the 18 to 21 year group can bet this year's Kentucky Derby.

Popular Long Established Offshore Sportsbooks 18 and Up

Sites like BetOnline, which this year celebrates its 25th anniversary, are among the biggest in the biz. The founder of this website you are reading now (Gambling911.com) was one of the first to visit their original office way back in the summer of 1999. 

These sites hold international licenses - BetOnline's is in beautiful Panama City, Panama.  Other long established online gambling jurisdictions include Malta, Canada (the Khanawake Reserve), Antigua, Costa Rica and the Netherlands Antilles (Curacao).  This is a business model similar to that of the cruise ship industry where Carnival, Royal Caribbean and others are subject to the laws of the government whose flag they fly.

In the case of the online gambling sites based offshore, the minimum age is almost always 18, and this includes with BetOnline.

State Regulated Age Restrictions Are Mixed When It Comes to Kentucky Derby Bets

When it comes to sports betting, nearly all the US states require customers to be at least 21 years of age with state-regulated sportsbooks. 

With horse betting, a number of these states drop the age to 18.  Horse racing has always been viewed separate from the rest of the sports ecosystem and this is especially true when it comes to wagering rules.

18 and Up

Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming.

*Online and in-person rules may differ.  It is possible you will be denied a betting account online, especially if you fail to provide the proper ID.

Must Be At Least 21

Alabama, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Washington.

Local Bookies

The local bookmakers will often extend credit and allow betting to be completely anonymous so that Mom and Dad won't see all those DraftKings brochures coming in the mail.  Local bookies are mostly found by referrals.  They use some of the same horse racing betitng software the top sportsbooks do.

Odds to Win the 2024 Kentucky Derby

All odds courtesy of BetOnline - Live odds here

1     Dornoch         +2500
2     Sierra Leone         +275
3     Mystik Dan         +2400
4     Catching Freedom         +900
5     Catalytic         +4000
6     Just Steel         +2500
7     Honor Marie         +1600
8     Just a Touch         +1100
10     TO Password         +4000
11     Forever Young         +800
12     Track Phantom         +2800
13     West Saratoga         +6000
14     Endlessly         +2800
15     Domestic Product         +2700
16     Grand Mo the First         +5000
17     Fierceness         +250
18     Stronghold         +1700
19     Resilience         +2400
20     Society Man         +2700
21     AE/21 Epic Ride         +4000