The Kentucky Derby: How many Americans will place a bet?

A recent YouGov poll reveals 13% of Americans are likely to place a bet on this year’s Kentucky Derby.

Compared with other age groups, Americans aged 35-49 are most likely to make a wager on the race, with 19% indicating interest in doing so.

A quarter of those who intend to place a bet say they plan to spend between $11 and $25, representing a plurality. Data shows 17% intend to spend between $26 - $50, 11% will spend $50 – $100, and 6% will spend more than $100.

Meanwhile, almost half of this group intend to use an online sportsbook to make their bets (45%), while a quarter say they’ll put their money down at an in-person sportsbook (24%). A slightly higher proportion intend to place casual bets with family and friends (27%).

Finally, a quarter of these bettors list their hunch or feel to be the most important factor when choosing their bets (25%), followed by other factors such as betting odds (22%), any promotions available (13%) and tips or research (6%). Just 7% listed the horse’s name as a factor when choosing their bets.

The Kentucky Derby takes place on Saturday May 7.

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Methodology: YouGov polled 1,903 US adults online on April 19, 2022 between 10:49 a.m. and 2:21 p.m. ET. The survey was carried out through YouGov Direct. Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, political affiliation, and ethnicity. Results are nationally representative of adults in the United States. The margin of error is 2.2% for the overall sample. Learn more about YouGov Direct.