All of us dream about it as we carefully pick the odds, select our team, place wagers, and see bated breath. As the final whistle blows, we emphasise it also indicates that the win of a life. Wouldn’t that be something?
For some lucky bettors, it is more than only a sweet sports gambling dream. We take a look at some of the most well-known and biggest wins in sports betting history.
Grandpa Makes a Bet to Beat Them All
Soccer is the UK’s hottest sport by far, and if 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 still a toddler), Mr. Edwards went to the bookmakers and put a #50 bet (roughly $67) that the boy could play for Wales, his national team. 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. At the 87th minute of this 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 wealthy man. The 13-year-old bet won his grandfather a tidy sum 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 youthful Lewis Hamilton in a go-karting track. Convinced the young Hamilton had a speedy future before him, Hopkins put three different bets on the rising racing star.
The first was a #200 ($270) wager that Hamilton would acquire the Formula 1 until he turned 23, and also an additional #100 bet he could be World Champion by 25. Hopkins was so certain of his predictions, that he put an extra third wager of #50 that Hamilton could 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 spot in the Brazilian Grand Prix at 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 now is boxing legend Floyd Mayweather. Famous because of his enormous sports bets, he has been known to reap countless thousands (sometimes even millions of dollars) on single occasions. As the highest paid sports star of all time, he’s got lots of spare cash to play .
In the conclusion of the 4th quarter, Mayweather collected 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 with a 7.5 point spread. A touchdown from the Broncos put them up by 14, clear of the necessary points. At the conclusion of the 4th quarter, Mayweather gathered a cool $1.4 million!
The Legend That Is Billy Walters
No list of extremes in sport betting would be complete without mentioning Billy Walters. Before Billy Walters was awarded 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 stakes were so feared by the sportsbooks he was actually banned from wagering.
One of the 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 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. 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 that the NBA legend turned sports announcer, Charles Barkley. While he’s best-known because of 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 on the underdog New England Patriots to beat St. Louis Rams, and a further $50,000 on the moneyline, Barkley won both stakes.
The controversy arose from the small truth that Barkley did not have sufficient credit at the Mandalay Bay sportsbook to pay the wager, and hadn’t signed a marker. 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 bet that made you that the protagonist (or even the envy) of your gaming friends? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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