Kentucky Derby: How to bet on horses from home

Woodford Reserve assistant master distiller Elizabeth McCall shows Shannon Bream and Janice Dean how to make the classic Kentucky Derby cocktail.

During the Kentucky Derby, Americans across the country enjoy staying at home with their friends and family to place online bets on their favorite horses to win races. 

Online gambling is heavily regulated in the United States, but horse race betting has legal loopholes allowing nearly 40 states to legalize it.

Read below to find out how to place your first online horse racing bet from the comfort of your home just in time for the Kentucky Derby.

HISTORICAL AND MEMORABLE KENTUCKY DERBY RACES FROM 1875 AND ON

Throughout the United States, multiple states allow citizens to make bets online, also known as advance deposit wagering. This means you can simply place bets from the comfort of your home and watch the results live without attending the Kentucky Derby. Variety sites offer listings to bet on specific horses or jockeys in the Derby, including BetOnline, Bovada, TwinSpires and BetUS. 

There are several sports gambling websites you can use to place your bets on Kentucky Derby from the comfort of your home. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

After you sign up and deposit your money into one of these sites, you may begin making your first bet. The first step will be selecting the bet you want to make, which could include some form of a parlay bet. Parlay betting allows individuals to combine multiple horse races into one bet. However, for the Derby, you can always just place one bet at a time per race.

After placing your bet, you will confirm the amount you want to wager and be given a slip. Most sites will allow you to track listings or timelines of different races. You can study