All of us dream about it as we carefully select the odds, pick our staff, place wagers, and see bated breath. Since the final whistle blows, we all emphasise that it also signals the win of a lifetime. Wouldn’t that be something?
For some lucky bettors, it is more than only a sweet sports betting dream. We take a look at a few of the most well-known and greatest wins in sports gambling history.
Grandpa Makes a Future Bet to Beat Them All
Soccer is the UK’s hottest game by far, and when Harry Wilson was born, grandfather Peter Edward was sure the boy was destined for glory on the pitch.
So sure in fact , in 2000 (when Harry was a toddler),” Mr. Edwards went into the bookmakers and placed a #50 bet (about $67) the boy could play for Wales, his national group. The odds were a bit of a long shot at 2,500-1, but he was sure it would pay off.
Fast forward to October 15th, 2013, and 16-year-old Harry was sitting on the bench for Wales. In the 87th minute of this World Cup qualifier against Belgium, Harry was hauled in as a substitute for Hal Robson-Kanu.
Harry not only broke the record to become the youngest player to represent his nation on the pitch, but he also left his grandfather a rich guy. The 13-year-old wager won his grandfather a clear sum of #150,000.
A Quick and Furious Future Bet
In 1998 Richard Hopkins had a comparable foresight when he was watching his son, Evan, race a young Lewis Hamilton at a go-karting track. Convinced the youthful Hamilton had a fast future before him, Hopkins placed three separate bets on the climbing racing star.
The first was a #200 ($270) wager that Hamilton would win the Formula 1 before he turned 23, and also an additional #100 bet he could be World Champion by 25. Hopkins was certain of his predictions, so he placed an additional third wager of #50 which Hamilton could achieve both.
Hamilton made Hopkins #40,000 wealthier when he won the Canadian Grand Prix in 2007 at age 22, and #50,000 wealthier when he clinched first spot from the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2008, in 24. This meant that Hopkins’ third wager bagged him an additional #75,000.
All of Mayweather’s Sports Bets
The most notorious sports bettor today is boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather. Renowned for his enormous sports stakes, he’s been known to reap countless thousands (sometimes even millions of dollars) on single events. As the highest paid sports superstar of all time, he’s got plenty of spare money to play .
In the end of the 4th quarter, Mayweather gathered a cool $1.4 million!
His biggest bet so much was in 2014, when he bet a whopping $815,000 on the Denver Broncos to beat the New York Jets by a 7.5 point spread. A touchdown from the Broncos put them up by 14, clear of the vital points. At the end of the 4th quarter, Mayweather gathered a cool $1.4 million!
The Legend That Is Billy Walters
No list of extremes in sport gambling would be complete without mentioning Billy Walters. Before Billy Walters was given his 5-year prison sentence and a $10 million fine for insider trading, Billy was the most notorious sports bettor of all time. His enormous bets were feared from the sportsbooks he was banned from wagering.
One of his most impressive bets was around the 2010 Super Bowl, when he put down $3.5million on New Orleans Saints to beat the Indianapolis Colts. The Saints were the underdogs entering the game with the Colts looking unbeatable, but Billy’s stats and figures all pointed to the Saints since the favorites. He travelled with it, and it paid off. Nobody knows how much Walter raked in exactly, but we’re pretty sure it was a hefty sum!
Charles Barkley’s Super Bowl Win
Taking his seat in the sport gambling hall of fame is that the NBA legend turned into sports announcer, Charles Barkley. While he is best-known for his betting losses (reportedly totaling nearly $30 million), it was his big win following the Super Bowl 36 that caused quite a stir.
By wagering half a million around the underdog New England Patriots to beat St. Louis Rams, plus an additional $50,000 on the moneyline, Barkley won the two stakes.
The controversy arose from the little fact that Barkley did not have sufficient credit at the Mandalay Bay sportsbook to cover the wager, and hadn’t signed a marker. Of course, the sportsbook were reluctant to pay out, but eventually gave in and Barkley banked his 800,000 win.
What is Your Biggest Win?
Ever make a bet that made you the protagonist (or the jealousy ) of your gambling buddies? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
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