Gallery: How to bet on the Kentucky Derby from your smartphone
Image 1 of 11
Hat, pastel colors, and ticket not necessary
Hat, pastel colors, and ticket not necessary
It’s Kentucky Derby season, and in Louisville that means the whole town goes crazy–it’s such a big deal that the local school district actually shuts down on Friday, the day before the Derby, because it’s essentially a holiday weekend.
Getting to Louisville for the Derby, however, can be expensive. Gambling on the race can also be difficult if you don’t have a facility (or bookie) nearby, but it doesn’t have to be hard if you install TwinSpires for iOS or Android (note–you’ll be downloading the Android app from the TwinSpires website since Google doesn’t allow any gambling apps in the Play Store).
Armed with your app of choice and our swarm AI superfecta prediction for the 143rd Kentucky Derby you’re ready to go! Click through to learn how to place your bets with TwinSpires.
Disclaimer: Remember that gambling is always just that, and TechRepublic is not recommending that you engage in parimutuel betting. Be careful with your money and wager at your own risk.
Install the app
Install the app
iOS users will be able to find TwinSpires by searching for it in the App Store. Android users need to download and install it manually. The steps for doing so are in the following slides (iOS users can skip the next two slides).
Downloading the Android APK
Downloading the Android APK
Tap on Download and you’ll see the popup on the bottom of the screen, as shown in the left image. Tap OK and the APK will start downloading.
Once it’s done, drag down from the top of the screen to open the notification view and tap on the Download Complete notification.
Installing the Android APK
Installing the Android APK
Tapping on the download notification will open your file manager app and point you at the location of the TwinSpires APK, as shown in the left image.
Tap on the APK and you’ll get the screen on the right. Tap install, let it finish, and then you’ll be all set to run the app and bet on the Derby!
Set up an account
Set up an account
There are a few things you’ll need to do to use TwinSpires, and the first thing is to set up an account. If you’re unsure about providing personal information, like your social security number, then you can stop now–that, along with your address and other personal info, are required to get started.
Once you're in
Once you're in
After you go through with account setup you’ll be greeted with the main screen that shows all the upcoming races. There’s a lot of info here, and the app is honestly a bit overwhelming.
Don’t worry–it’s a lot simpler than it looks. Start by tapping on the race you’re interested in.
One more thing: You’ll need to deposit cash into the app, which you can do on the menu accessible from the upper right hand corner. You’ll need a debit card or PayPal account, and there’s a $5 fee for each deposit you make.
The race screen
The race screen
There’s a lot to look at on the race screen–horses, odds, race conditions … it’s almost too much to take in if you’re looking at it for the first time.
Luckily almost everything you see can be clicked on to get more info. Take that second bar from the top that starts 2 MTP–it’s the race condition bar. Tapping anywhere on it will bring up a full list of race conditions.
The same goes for Odds on the right hand side of the screen–tap on it and you’ll get a breakdown of what the numbers actually mean. Pretty important to know!
Tapping items from the race screen
Tapping items from the race screen
Here’s what you’ll see if you tap on the race condition bar (left) or the odds (right).
You can tap on the arrow in the upper left hand corner to return to the race screen.
Placing a bet
Placing a bet
For this demonstration I’m placing a superfecta bet on the first Churchill Downs race of Oaks day. A superfecta, as discussed in our article predicting the 2017 Derby superfecta, is the correct placing of the top four horses in a race.
When using TwinSpires to place a superfecta bet you start by tapping on Select Wager Type from the race screen. That brings up the screen you see here, where you can select the type of bet you want to make.
If you plan to bet using TechRepublic’s superfecta predictions tap on Superfecta. (Note: The race shown here is not the Kentucky Derby. Advanced Derby bets are not available as of writing.)
Selecting your superfecta
Selecting your superfecta
In order to get the massive payout that comes with a superfecta you can’t just pick the top four horses–you have to pick them in order. On the top of the screen you’ll see numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4. You need to select the first place horse (left image), tap on 2, select the second place horse, and do the same for three and four.
Once you select all four you’ll see a screen similar to the one on the right of this slide. It shows your superfecta picks as Horses:#/#/#/#. If everything looks good, you’re ready to go. Tap BET to place your wager. Be sure everything is correct first!
Confirm your bet
Confirm your bet
You’ll get the left screen next–it looks like a virtual ticket, and it gives you one more chance to confirm your pick. If you’re ready, tap SUBMIT. The app will process your bet, and then the image on the right will show up.
That’s it–now sit back and wait for the race! You can easily navigate to your personal bets, repeat the bet you just made, copy the bet, or go right to a live video stream if the race is ready to start.
Have a safe, happy, and exciting Derby weekend!
