All of us dream about it as we carefully select the odds, select our staff, place wagers, and see bated breath. Since the final whistle blows, we emphasise it also indicates the win of a lifetime. Wouldn’t that be something?
For many lucky bettors, it is more than just a sweet sports gambling dream. We have a look at a few of the most famous and greatest wins in sports betting history.
Grandpa Makes a Bet to Beat Them All
Soccer is the UK’s hottest sport by much, and if Harry Wilson was born, grandfather Peter Edward was convinced the boy was destined for glory on the pitch.
So sure in fact , in 2000 (when Harry was still a toddler), Mr. Edwards went to the bookmakers and placed a #50 wager (roughly $67) the boy could play for Wales, his national group. The odds were a bit of a long shot 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 seat for Wales. In the 87th minute of the 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 made his grandfather a wealthy man. The 13-year-old bet won his grandfather a clear amount of 150,000.
A Fast and Furious Future Bet
In 1998 Richard Hopkins had a comparable foresight when he had been watching his son, Evan, race a youthful Lewis Hamilton in a go-karting track. Convinced the young Hamilton had a speedy future before him, Hopkins placed three separate bets on the climbing racing celebrity.
The first was a #200 ($270) wager that Hamilton would acquire the Formula 1 until he turned 23, and a further #100 wager he could be World Champion by 25. Hopkins was certain of his predictions, so that he put 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 the age of 22, and 50,000 richer when he clinched first spot in the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2008, at 24. This meant that Hopkins’ third bet bagged him another #75,000.
All Mayweather’s Sports Bets
The most notorious sports bettor today is boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather. Famous because of his enormous sports stakes, he has been proven to reap hundreds of thousands (sometimes even millions of dollars) on single occasions. As the highest paid sports superstar of all time, he has lots of spare money to play .
At the conclusion of the 4th quarter, Mayweather gathered a cool $1.4 million!
His biggest bet so far was in 2014, when he bet a whopping $815,000 on the Denver Broncos to beat the New York Jets with a 7.5 point spread. A touchdown from the Broncos put them up by 14, clear of the vital points. In the end of the 4th quarter, Mayweather gathered a cool $1.4 million!
The Legend That Is Billy Walters
No listing of extremes in sport betting 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 big bets were feared by the sportsbooks he was banned from wagering.
Among his most impressive bets was on the 2010 Super Bowl, when he set down $3.5million on New Orleans Saints to beat the Indianapolis Colts. The Saints were the underdogs going into the game with the Colts looking unbeatable, but Billy’s stats and figures all pointed to the Saints since the favorites. He went , and it paid off. No one knows how much Walter raked in precisely, 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 the NBA legend turned into sports announcer, Charles Barkley. While he’s best-known for his betting losses (reportedly totaling almost $30 million), it had been his big win following the Super Bowl 36 that caused quite a stir.
By wagering half a million on 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 in the little truth that Barkley didn’t have sufficient credit at the Mandalay Bay sportsbook to cover the bet, and hadn’t signed a mark. Obviously, that the sportsbook were loath to pay out, but finally gave in and Barkley banked his 800,000 win.
What’s Your Biggest Win?
Ever make a bet that made you the hero (or even the envy) of your betting buddies? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
Read more: cfbfanpoll.com
Leave Comment