When you are beginning with a hobby like betting on kentucky derby online, you suddenly noticed that there are many options for placing a bet. While it might seem like the only place you should be allowed to place a bet is at the racetrack, you will find websites like our recommended racebooks suggest otherwise. Clearly stated on the Kentucky Derby website is the suggestion that you can place a bet at Churchill Downs or find an independent third party place to do it.
From a remote track sports bars, casinos, online, and the track itself; which are the best options?
Offline betting at the track
Living close to a racetrack, means visiting on a regular basis and enjoying the features that a track provides. For example, many racetracks will have gourmet food with top shelf wine and liquor. More often than not, the experiences you can enjoy come with an annual membership.
Of course, there is a general admission that allows you to watch the races for that day and almost anyone can attend as long as it is not a special event like the Kentucky Derby or the Breeder’s Cup. During those visits, you can place a bet at the betting clerk’s window.
However, what if you do not live next to a racetrack or want to pay for the admission?
Casinos for offline horse betting
When you live next to a casino, you will often hear them advertising off track betting. Like a racetrack, there is a lot of gourmet food and fine wine at a casino. Often, if you ask where the off track betting area is, they will direct you to a sports bar that has a racebook.
From the book, you can decide which of the races you will be betting on. While you drink and eat, you can watch the races being broadcast live on TVs in the dining area. Sometimes, there is a slight delay in the broadcast — but the bets you place will go into the general betting pool for that race. You will receive your payout from the casino after the race is over.
Casinos in racetracks
For many Americans, betting on horses is synonymous with going to a casino. Interestingly, in 2012, the Kentucky state government will decide whether to allow casinos inside of Churchill Downs and other racetracks. For the time being, other rules and regulations have restricted casinos in the state while other states like Illinois and Indiana reap the benefits. Instead of sending Kentucky residents 5 miles across the border to a casino to bet on horses, why not let the casino stay in Kentucky?
For now, their system remains the same, but online booking at Churchill Downs could be a reality with a casino in place. Sadly, this means booking at the track with a clerk could be on its way out.
Off track betting sports bars
If you like to watch the races with other people that are just as excited as you are, you may be surprised to know that many sports bars are now featuring off track betting. In many cases, you have to pay in order to place in wager. Naturally, they will not have every race available and will be controlling what is broadcast.
In general, these kinds of situations are best if you have large groups of friends that are looking for something to do. On the other hand, if you are serious about following certain horses professionally, you might find that online betting is more your style.
Purpose of off track betting
Of course, today, many casinos and sports bars will use an online system. Their main goal is to simulate what it is like to wine and dine at a luxury racetrack like Churchill Downs. Regardless, they are simply replaying a broadcasted race in order to attract race fans.
When they give you their race book and you place your bet, they are usually entering your information in an online system. In many cases, avoiding the online system means they are promoting gambling outside of a legal context. In general, they should be adding your money to the same nationalized pool of money for that particular race.
What to expect from online gambling
When you begin with horse gambling, it is easy enough to place your first bet. Over time, you learn more about the different types of wagers and want to move on. Since horse racing and placing bets is like a puzzle, the more you place bets, the more confident you feel about moving on to these more exotic wagering types.
For this reason, you can soon find that you do not want to have the races and horses that you gamble on to be controlled. It is at this point that many people will find that they are too advanced for off track betting options and simply want to use the virtual horse betting systems, which apart from the convenience, privacy, comfort, and savings, it also brings upon great bonuses and rewards to the online bettors from the online racebooks – providing for greater returns.