All of us dream about it because we carefully select the odds, select our team, place wagers, and see bated breath. Since the final whistle blows, we all emphasise it also signals the win of a life. Would not that be something?
For some lucky bettors, it is more than only a sweet sports gambling dream. We take a peek at some of the most well-known and biggest wins in sports betting history.
Grandpa Makes a Potential Bet to Beat Them All
Soccer is the UK’s most popular sport 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 that, in 2000 (when Harry was a toddler), Mr. Edwards went into the bookmakers and put a #50 bet (roughly $67) that the boy would play Wales, his national group. The chances were a bit of a long shot 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 pulled in as a replacement 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 rich 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 comparable foresight when he had been observing his son, Evan, race a youthful Lewis Hamilton in a go-karting track. Convinced the youthful Hamilton had a speedy future before him, Hopkins put three different bets on the rising racing celebrity.
The first was a #200 ($270) bet that Hamilton would win the Formula 1 before he turned 23, and also an additional #100 wager he could be World Champion by 25. Hopkins was so certain of his predictions, so he put an extra third bet of #50 which Hamilton would attain both.
Hamilton made Hopkins #40,000 richer when he won the Canadian Grand Prix in 2007 at the age of 22, and 50,000 richer when he clinched first spot from the Brazilian Grand Prix at 2008, at 24. This meant that Hopkins’ third bet bagged him an additional #75,000.
All of Mayweather’s Sports Bets
The most notorious sports bettor now is boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather. Famous because of his enormous sports bets, he’s been known to reap hundreds of thousands (sometimes even millions of dollars) on single events. Since the highest paid sports star of all time, he has lots of spare cash to play .
In 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 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 necessary points. At the end of the 4th quarter, Mayweather collected a cool $1.4 million!
The Legend That’s Billy Walters
No list of extremes in sport gambling would be complete without mentioning Billy Walters. Before Billy Walters had been awarded his 5-year prison sentence and a $10 million fine for insider trading, Billy was the most notorious sports bettor of time. His big bets were feared from the sportsbooks he was actually banned from wagering.
Among the 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 as the favorites. He travelled , and it paid off. Nobody 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 game gambling hall of fame is the NBA legend turned into sports announcer, Charles Barkley. While he is best-known because of 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 around the underdog New England Patriots to beat St. Louis Rams, and a further $50,000 on the moneyline, Barkley won the two bets.
The controversy arose from the little actuality that Barkley did not have enough credit at the Mandalay Bay sportsbook to cover the bet, and had not signed a mark. Obviously, 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 wager that made you that the hero (or the envy) of your gambling buddies? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
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