We all dream about it because we carefully pick the odds, pick our staff, place wagers, and watch with bated breath. As the final whistle blows, we fantasize that it also indicates the win of a lifetime. Wouldn’t that be something?
For many lucky bettors, it’s more than just a sweet sports betting dream. We have a look at a few of the most famous and biggest wins in sports gambling history.
Grandpa Makes a Potential Bet to Beat Them All
Football 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 that, in 2000 (when Harry was a toddler),” Mr. Edwards went into the bookmakers and put a #50 bet (roughly $67) that 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 seat for Wales. In the 87th minute of the World Cup qualifier against Belgium, Harry was hauled in as a replacement 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 tidy sum of #150,000.
A Quick and Furious Future Bet
In 1998 Richard Hopkins had a similar foresight when he was observing his son, Evan, race a youthful Lewis Hamilton in a go-karting track. Convinced the young Hamilton had a speedy future ahead of him, Hopkins placed three separate bets on the rising racing star.
The first was a #200 ($270) bet that Hamilton would acquire the Formula 1 until he turned 23, and also a further #100 bet he could be World Champion by 25. Hopkins was certain of his predictions, so he placed an extra third bet of #50 that Hamilton would achieve both.
Hamilton made Hopkins #40,000 richer when he won the Canadian Grand Prix in 2007 at the age of 22, and #50,000 wealthier when he clinched first place in the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2008, at 24. This meant that Hopkins’ third wager bagged him another #75,000.
All of Mayweather’s Sports Bets
The most infamous sports bettor now is boxing legend Floyd Mayweather. Famous because of his enormous sports bets, he has been proven to reap countless thousands (sometimes even millions of dollars) on single events. As the highest paid sports superstar of all time, he’s got lots of spare cash to play with.
In the conclusion of the 4th quarter, Mayweather collected 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 from the Broncos put them up by 14, clear of the vital points. At the conclusion of the 4th quarter, Mayweather gathered a cool $1.4 million!
The Legend That Is Billy Walters
No listing of extremes in sport gambling would be complete without mentioning Billy Walters. Before Billy Walters was awarded his 5-year prison sentence and a $10 million fine to insider trading, Billy was the most notorious sports bettor of all time. His enormous stakes were so feared by the sportsbooks that he was actually banned from wagering.
One of his most remarkable 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 entering the game with the Colts looking unbeatable, but Billy’s figures and stats all pointed to the Saints since the favorites. He went , and it paid off. Nobody knows how much Walter raked in precisely, but we are 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’s best-known for his gambling 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 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 actuality that Barkley did not have sufficient credit in the Mandalay Bay sportsbook to pay the bet, and had not signed a mark. Obviously, the sportsbook were reluctant to pay out, but finally gave in and Barkley banked his $800,000 win.
What is Your Biggest Win?
Ever make a wager that made you the hero (or the jealousy ) of your betting buddies? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
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