Derby Jackpot Review

If you like the ponies, you’re off to the races with Derby.com. It doesn’t matter if you’re a US or Canadian resident, you can take advantage of legal online track betting, as Derby Jackpot is a dedicated pari-mutuel site.

You’re not betting against the house; you’re gambling with and against the other Derby players, so the odds are dynamic. It’s the players and not the racetracks determining the favorite and long-shot odds.

A minimum $10 deposit is all that it takes to get your account up and running, and you can take advantage of six unique ways to bet.

Your stake can be as low as $2, and just like all of those online casinos and sportsbooks, Derby offers its new players a welcome bonus based on the first deposit.

The process is as simple as:

1. Pick your horse(s)
2. Watch the race
3. Get paid

It doesn’t matter if you’re an experienced track bettor or if you’ve never placed a bet before; Derby provides a how-to video and all kinds of information to get you in on the action in a matter of minutes. Make a Gonzo bet, a Fiddy bet, a Dime bet, or pick your own horses to back. It’s fun, interactive, and exciting!

Who Can Play at Derby Jackpot?

Derby Jackpot is Oregon Racing Commission-approved and serves players from both the United States and Canada with a few specific US state exceptions.

If you live in any state other than Alaska, Arizona, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, or Utah, you can participate in the real money games provided by Derby Jackpot.

Keep in mind, though, that you are subject to tax reporting for anything you win over $600 and you do have to update Derby if you change jurisdictions, as it has strict regulations to adhere to about the acceptance of US players.

Players must be at least 18 years of age to use the service. In Alabama, the minimum age is 19, and no one under 21 can participate if they live in Iowa, Kansas, or New Hampshire.

Software Suppliers

Derby Jackpot is an affiliate of and is powered by Xpressbet in the US. Xpressbet has a fully licensed multi-jurisdictional account wagering hub in the State of Oregon in the United States.

In Canada, Derby is powered by HPIBet, based in the Province of Ontario.

The Good Stuff

Legal Online Betting for US Players

Gambling in the United States is a precarious situation. Online bets are not technically illegal for the players, but the gambling provider may not be complying with money transfer legislation. However, there are race tracks all over the country, so Derby is acting as an online Off-Track Betting conduit. The service is approved by the Oregon Racing Commission for players in all states except a dozen that are noted above. As it’s pari-mutual wagering, punters aren’t betting against the house; they’re wagering amongst other Derby players.

PayPal Option

Derby Jackpot is one of the representatives of PayPal’s gradual re-emergence back into the US gambling industry. PayPal is one of the fastest ways to receive money, so it’s beneficial to include it amongst the other banking options. Once the internal payment processing is completed by the Derby Jackpot accounting department, the money should be back in the same PayPal account within minutes.

Derby Lotto

In addition to the traditional horse racing betting, Derby allows its players to participate in lotto drawings also provided by the race tracks. If you click on the Lotto menu item, you’ll find early, midday, and evening games like Pick 4s and Pick 5s. Some of the prizes will even rival state lotteries with their six-figure payouts to winners.

The Bad Stuff

ACH Transfer 30-Day Wait

The first time you opt to use an ACH transfer as your method of payment, you’re subject to a 30-day waiting period. What that means is that you can deposit into your betting account and place your bets. But if you are in a position and have the desire to cash out, you need to wait it out for a month. After your initial withdrawal, you should be verified and on track for much faster turnarounds, though.

No Live Chat

Although there are an email address and a phone number provided to players or even potential players, the live chat function that you would typically find through an online betting site is notably absent. I think that’s something that the owners may want to reconsider, as many online bettors rely on that feature for quick responses without needing to call. After all, does anyone make traditional phone calls anymore?

The Races

Unlike a traditional racebook, Derby offers six unique ways to bet. The first pack of three offers a pick-your-own-horse option and the remaining three provide random picks for combination bets (exactas, trifectas, and superfectas). I mentioned that it’s as easy as it gets for new players, and as you review this information, you’ll see why.

Keep in mind that the payouts are going to ultimately be decided by the odds of the horses after all bets are recorded. It depends on how many bets come in and the total staked. There are consistently updated odds available, so you’re not entirely in the dark.

The Six Bets

• The Monkey

• The monkey is the most straightforward “pick your own” option. You’ll select one horse, place your bet, and see what happens. If your horse is the winner, you get paid. It’s as simple as that.

• The Donkey

• Once again, you’ll pick your horse from the line-up that’s provided for you. With a donkey bet, you get paid if your horse comes in first or second place, so you have a better chance of collecting some winnings.

• The Granny

• If you like the idea of having better odds of success, the granny is your number-one pick. You’ll select one horse, and then you get paid if it comes in first, second, OR third place. You’ll make less with the donkey and granny than you will with the monkey, but you do have a higher chance of cashing in something.

• The Gonzo

• Now we’re into the random picks, so the computer will help you out. For a gonzo bet, also known as an exacta bet everywhere else, you’ll see some cards in front of you, and you’ll select either two or three. To win, you need two of your picks to come in first and second in the race. You get paid more if you hit it right on the money, but a third selection helps your chances.

• The Fiddy

• The horses show up on slot reels for the fiddy bet, and it’s one that can really give you a significant payout. The reels will spin, and three different horses will come up for you in first-, second-, and third-place positions. To win, the real horses on the track need to match up exactly with your first three finishers. The fiddy is typically known as the trifecta.

• The Dime

• If the fiddy isn’t enough of a challenge for you, the dime is also known as a superfecta. Take the fiddy and add one. So, you have a four-reel slot machine that will randomly pop up four horses for you. You need to match up the exact order of the first four place finishers to claim a win. But if you do, you can be sure your payout will be quite impressive.

Box Your Bet

If you’re placing a fiddy or a dime bet, you have the option to box it. It’s more expensive to box your bet, but you’ll win regardless of the finishing order. So, if you box a fiddy bet, as long as you have the top three finishers, you’re a winner.

The Jackpot

Ready for an even bigger challenge?

Get ready to take notes here because you have three levels and nine total bets to successfully conquer within 24 hours to win the progressive bonus.

To participate, you have to place your $4 bet in the jackpot tab area. Half goes to the pari-mutuel pool as a wager, and the other half is your entry fee into the jackpot game.

Claiming the progressive jackpot requires you to win three Grannys, then three Donkeys, and then three Monkeys. You don’t have to stake consecutive races, but your betting has to be in that exact order to be in contention for the prize. The amount resets every time someone claims the jackpot, and it is issued as a bonus so you can’t just immediately cash out the prize. It has to be played through once.

A Few Tips

Before I move on to the other sections, I wanted to list a few tips that you may find helpful. After all, Derby is a unique concept and is unlike other betting sites, so you may have more questions along the way. Once you spend a few minutes on the site, though, everything will become clear.

• The site runs on flash but is optimized for Chrome, so you’ll have a better experience using a Chrome browser
• Derby is optimized for mobile as well so you can bet using your smartphone or tablet
• There’s a Jackpot Practice section if you want to take some time to figure out the jackpot option where you have to get nine winners to claim the big prize
• Your account will be broken out into two figures: the withdrawable balance and the account balance. The account balance will include any bonuses that haven’t been released as yet.
• Although customer service isn’t available through live chat, other players are. There’s a chat right on the homepage so you can connect with them.
• You can bet as little as $2 per race
• There’s a quick three-minute “how to” video that will help you to figure out the difference between the six bets and how to stake your predictions.

Promotions

While you won’t find a promotional area with reload bonuses and other promotions like with other online casinos and sportsbooks, Derby does offer a new player bonus, and it is tied to the first deposit.

It’s structured differently than casinos, though. Instead of receiving a bonus and having to work through a wagering requirement, it’s like a poker room offer. You get a reward that correlates to the amount of your banking transfer, but it isn’t issued to you right away. Instead, you get 10% of it released every time you make a bet.

So, if you have a $10 bonus pending and you make a $10 bet, you’ll free up $1 of your reward, and it’ll appear in your cash balance within 48 hours.

Welcome Bonus

The following are the new player bonus rewards:

• Deposit $50 and receive $10
• Deposit $100 and receive $25
• Deposit $250 and receive $100
• Deposit $500 and receive $250

As you can see, it’s not a straightforward 100% or $200 deposit match like you’ll typically find elsewhere. It’s a graduated structure, so you claim a much bigger bonus reward if you deposit $500 than if you come out of the gate with $50.

Refer-A-Friend Program

To claim a “refer a friend” bonus, you have to use the custom invitation that Derby provides to all of its players, and your friend has to use the specific link that’s included within it. Once they sign up and make a deposit, you get to claim $25 as a reward.

Banking

Derby Jackpot has compiled a custom menu of banking options specifically for its US clientele. But unlike other US-facing casinos, it keeps its minimum deposits low and doesn’t attach fees to the financial transactions.

There is one significant downside to one of the banking options, though. If you opt to use an ACH transfer to deposit, you also have to use it to withdraw. That’s not at all unusual, as you typically need to stick with the same method for transfers in both directions. What is atypical, though, is to be required to leave money in your betting account for 30 days before you can withdraw anything if ACH is your preferred banking system. That 30-day window is only for your first transfer, though. Once you complete that lengthy wait, you should be on track for faster payment turnarounds moving forward.

As far as the entire line-up, you just need to transfer in $10 if you use anything other than Visa, Mastercard, or PayPal. Any of those three will prompt you for a $25 minimum.

The maximum deposit for new players is $500 combined for the week, but as you become a regular, that will increase to $2,000.

Withdrawals should be processed internally within five days.

Just a quick note regarding a few of the deposit methods… Pay Near Me is a prepaid method that’s implemented by 7-Eleven store locations and other vendors. You scan a barcode and provide the store with cash, and it transfers it to Derby Jackpot for you.

InstaFund may also be new to you. It’s essentially a direct deposit payment from your bank account, but it’s limited to just a handful of banks. If you have an account and bill pay activated with Bank of America, BB&T, Capital One 360, Chase, HSBC Bank USA, New York Community Bank, PNC, Regions, Santander (Sovereign) Bank, SunTrust, TD Bank, U.S. Bank, or Wells Fargo, you can use InstaFund.

You’ll also want to keep in mind that Derby reports winnings over $600 to the IRS. If you happen to claim a payout that’s $5,000 or more, the site will automatically take 25% off the top for tax withholding.

Taxes are yet another thing that makes this website different from most other online betting services. But, again, this is a US operator servicing American-based customers.

Deposit Methods

• Visa
• Mastercard
• PayPal
• Pay Near Me
• InstaFund
• ACH Transfers

Withdrawal Methods

• PayPal
• ACH
• Check

The VIP Club

I found it odd that, although there is mention of a loyalty club with VIP status in the help section, there isn’t anything publicized on the homepage for potential players to review.

The bonus information in the FAQs stipulates that the more valuable bonuses are given out to higher-level loyalty players.

Customer Service

• Derby Jackpot’s Customer Service Department
• Phone: 1 866 562 4105
• Email: [email protected]t.com

Quick quiz for you. What’s missing from the customer service line-up?

Answer. Live chat.

The majority of online betting sites offer a live chat function so players can get quick answers to questions or issues that may arise. It helps them to register easily, as well as address any in-game scenarios.

If you’re looking for an immediate response, it’s best for you to use the call-in option.

Would I Play at Derby Jackpot?

I admit it — at first, I was a bit hesitant about the viability of derby.com. I’ve looked at so many racebooks, and they all seem to be pretty much the same. I didn’t think it would have enough of a pull to be as popular as it has become.

But after I went through everything on the website, from the terms and conditions to the promotions to the six betting types, I became much more intrigued. It’s an interesting concept and elevates race betting to a whole new realm.

I like the different betting options and how you can do your own quick picks, or you can easily make your own without having to study a racing form.

It really does have something for players all over the board. If you’re an experienced track bettor, what better place to go to watch all of the action from tracks across the US and around the world?

If you’re new to racetrack action, then you have an ideal introduction to it, as it couldn’t be easier to place a bet. You can start studying the odds and strategizing more after you become more experienced. In the meantime, pick a few cards or spin the slot wheels and take the random picks that pop up to easily fill out your bet slip.

There are bonuses, a refer-a-friend program, a VIP club, and lotto betting. While you won’t find casino games, that’s what casinos are for – this something relatively new and different!