All of us dream about it as we carefully pick the odds, select our staff, place wagers, and see bated breath. Since the final whistle blows, we fantasize that it also indicates the win of a lifetime. Would not that be something?
For many lucky bettors, it is more than just a sweet sports betting 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
Football is the UK’s hottest game by far, and when 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 a toddler),” Mr. Edwards went into the bookmakers and placed a #50 bet (about $67) that the boy would play for Wales, his national group. The chances were a small long shot at 2,500-1, but he was certain it would pay off.
Fast forward to October 15th, 2013, and 16-year-old Harry was sitting on the seat for Wales. At 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 country on the pitch, but he also made his grandfather a wealthy guy. 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 similar foresight when he was observing his son, Evan, race a young Lewis Hamilton in a go-karting track. Convinced the youthful Hamilton had a speedy future ahead of him, Hopkins put three different bets on the climbing racing celebrity.
The first was a #200 ($270) wager that Hamilton would acquire the Formula 1 before he turned 23, and a further #100 bet that he would be World Champion by 25. Hopkins was so certain of his predictions, so he placed an additional next wager of #50 which Hamilton would 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 place at the Brazilian Grand Prix at 2008, in 24. This meant that Hopkins’ third bet bagged him an additional #75,000.
All Mayweather’s Sports Bets
The most notorious sports bettor today is boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather. Famous because of his massive sports bets, he’s been proven to reap countless thousands (sometimes even millions of dollars) on single events. Since the highest paid sports superstar of all time, he has plenty of spare cash to play .
At the end 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 about the Denver Broncos to beat the New York Jets by a 7.5 point spread. A touchdown by the Broncos put them up by 14, clear of the necessary points. At the end of the 4th quarter, Mayweather gathered a cool $1.4 million!
The Legend That’s Billy Walters
No listing of extremes in sports gambling would be complete without mentioning Billy Walters. Before Billy Walters had been awarded his 5-year prison sentence and a $10 million fine to insider trading, Billy was the most infamous sports bettor of time. His big bets were feared by the sportsbooks that he was actually banned from wagering.
One of his most impressive bets was around 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 exactly, but we are pretty sure that it was a hefty sum!
Charles Barkley’s Super Bowl Win
Taking his seat in the game betting hall of fame is the NBA legend turned sports announcer, Charles Barkley. While he is best-known because of his gambling losses (reportedly totaling almost $30 million), it had been his big win after 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 bets.
The controversy arose from the small truth that Barkley didn’t have enough credit in the Mandalay Bay sportsbook to pay the wager, and hadn’t signed a mark. Of course, that the sportsbook were loath to pay out, but eventually gave in and Barkley banked his $800,000 win.
What’s Your Biggest Win?
Ever make a wager that made you the protagonist (or even the envy) of your gaming friends? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Read more: ufc200-fight.com