Bockino, associate professor of sport management, recently spoke with Complex about the relationship between betting and the Kentucky Derby.
Elon University Associate Professor of Sport Management David Bockino was featured in a recent Complex article exploring how the Kentucky Derby helped shape the history and mainstream appeal of sports betting in the United States.
The story examines the Derby’s long relationship with wagering, tracing how betting became central to the race’s culture and broader popularity. Bockino offered historical context on how horse racing served as an early entry point for legalized, public sports betting and helped normalize wagering.
“Horse racing has always had this sheen of respectability,” said Bockino. “The idea that you dressed up for the event in some capacity, the idea that you drank fancy drinks. The idea that this was an ‘outing’ made the underlying betting foundation more acceptable to American society. Everyone looks nice when you turn on the television [to watch the Derby]. That sort of facade was built up around horse racing and the event over the years … but in the end, it’s really just a betting endeavor.”
His perspective highlighted the Kentucky Derby’s lasting influence on American sports culture, from the traditions of race-day betting to the modern expansion of legal sports wagering across the country.
“People were always ready to bet [on sports],” Bockino said. “There hasn’t been a great societal shift in people wanting to bet on sports. There’s just been a great technological shift where you can now bet on your phone. You can bet on horse racing, or a table tennis event in China. Technology has made betting so much easier. But people have always wanted to and have always found a way to bet on sports. If you look back at the origin of any American sport, there were people betting on the outcomes from the very beginning. Horse racing included.”
Bockino’s upcoming book “Over/Under” explores the “definitive, colorful history of American sports betting that challenges the dialogue around one of our country’s fastest growing (and most controversial) industries.” It was featured in the New York Times list of “New Nonfiction Everyone Will Be Talking About in 2026.”