The excitement is building as we draw closer to the Kentucky Derby on May 7th 2011. Trying to pick a winner or a favourite seems like it will be a difficult task for bookmakers this year. But according to Jeff Frank of the Miami Herald, he believes that there’s a good chance the betting favourite could be no lower than 5-1 and the longest shot on the board might be below 30-1.
We’ve seen horses with worse odds win the Kentucky Derby before, and if you could predict the outcome of this event, it wouldn’t generate as much attention and hype as the most exciting two minutes in sports.
But for the gambling industry, the Kentucky Derby is far more than just a Run for Roses. The Kentucky Derby represents the second largest acquisition day for American facing books. This year American facing books should really capitalize on the fact that betting on the Kentucky Derby is wide open.
Even though people say that every year, it really is this year. It’s anyone’s guess who will win the Kentucky Derby which creates a situation where even the most novice bettor should feel confident that they could pick the winner.
For American facing books, the challenge will be to beat out the competition for all of the new acquisitions. Many people will be placing horse racing bets for the first time online and the books that are best able to facilitate this process will reap the benefits.
To me, the key is to be able to cater to the most clueless of bettors. I’m talking about the people that will be making bets without knowing what Trifecta, Exactor and Superfecta bets are. And I’m talking about the rookies that don’t know what the basic straight bets of win, place and show mean.
With a field this wide open there’s sure to be more first time bettors trying their luck, the easier they can bet with your site, the more likely they’ll remain a client and tell their friends.
On a side note, it must make the WTO burn to watch Churchill Downs take online horse racing bets especially after the events of Black Friday. It must be like a security guard with a flashlight watching armed robbers take Fort Knox. No matter how much he blows his whistle and shines his flashlight, they’re walking out of there with the gold.
