The ease of online sports betting has made it possible for anyone to place a bet on their favourite team or player. While this can add an element of excitement to watching a game, it can also lead to some huge wins. Here are ten of the biggest sports betting wins:
- Billy Walters, a famous poker player, placed a single bet worth $3.5 million during the Super Bowl XLIV in 2010. The bet was on New Orleans, who were the underdogs, and they won their first-ever Super Bowl with a 31-17 score against the Colts. The amount of the win remains unknown.
- Dave Oancea, also known as Vegas Dave, is a professional gambler from Las Vegas. In 2015, he won $2.5 million from a $140,000 bet on the Kansas City Royals to win the World Series.
- Steve Whiteley, a heating engineer, was 61 years old when he won an incredible £1.45 million from a £2 bet in 2011. He successfully managed to match six horses on the Exeter Tote Jackpot, one of which had lost its last 28 races.
- James Adducci decided to take a gamble on Tiger Woods winning the 2019 Masters Tournament. He placed an $85,000 bet, and Woods went on to win, making Adducci a very happy man and $1.2 million richer.
- Fred Craggs made a 50p (62 cents) accumulator bet on eight horse races that took place all over the globe. All of his horses won, and he went home with £1 million (about $1,258,288). He was 60 years old at the time.
- Charles Barkley is famous for both his basketball career and his love of gambling. In 2002 he placed a $500,000 bet on the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl. The Patriots were 14-point underdogs, but they won the game, and Barkley’s wager paid out a massive $800,000.
- Mike Futter, a Belfast-based bingo hall and racehorse owner, won £800,000 (about $1,006,008) in 2003. He bet on one of his own horses, Monty’s Pass, in a race and won big. As well as the prize money for his horse winning the race, which was £348,000 (approx. $438,492), he also won an additional £400,000 (about $504,014) for his bet.
Of course, not all punters who bet on sports online or any other platform, like to advertise the fact, especially when they win. Three of the biggest winning sports bets were placed anonymously.
- In 2017 an anonymous gambler made a $14 million bet on the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the World Series. The gambler let it ride for up to six games and won big. This is one of the biggest sports betting wins in history.
- In April 2017, an anonymous punter from Leicestershire placed a £19 ($23) accumulator bet on five horse races. All of his horses won, and he went home with an incredible £823,000 (about $1,035,585).
- Another anonymous punter, this time from the tiny island of Malta, made a 19-fold accumulator bet with odds of +68373800. All of his predictions came true, and he won an astonishing £585,000 (approx. $735,783).
So there you have it, the ten biggest sports betting wins in history. These stories are sure to inspire any gambler out there. But remember, while sports betting can lead to some huge wins, these bets are not the same as investing. There are some similarities, but the risks are much higher with gambling. So, if you do choose to place a bet, be sure to do your research and only gamble what you can afford to lose.
