Gamingpost.net presents 9 of the biggest winnings in sports betting history and their lucky winners.
Master Tiger Woods' $85,000 Bet
Tiger Woods is a professional golfer and 15-time Major tournament winner. He is one of the most accomplished golfers out there but has been getting fewer and fewer bets on him lately. That didn't stop golf fanatic James Aducci. He forced his wife to allow him to place an $85,000 bet on Woods. According to the terms, the golfer was supposed to win the Masters 2019.
At William Hill, the odds were 14 to 1. The bet was played and Adducci brought home $1.2 million. The man claims that this was his first sports bet.
Vegas Dave and Kansas City Royals
Vegas Dave is a sports analyst. He became famous for “rewriting the history of betting” and guessed 125 out of 128 bets. Several of them were especially large. In 2019, he gambled on the Kansas City Royals baseball team to win the World Series 30/1. The bookmakers did not want to take the full amount of the bet - 100 thousand dollars, so he distributed them to 15 offices. The team won the World Series and Vegas Dave received $2.5 million.
Get 15 NFL Matches Right
Express matches are hard to spot in large numbers, but the money is good too. Tayla Polia, with no experience in betting, decided to bet $5 on 15 NFL matches, with odds of 20,000 to 1. Her bet included 9 favorites, 5 outsiders and 1 undecided. She ended up guessing 15 times and winning $105,000.
The future of Leicester City Premier League
Leicester City's 2015 Premier League win was one of the biggest victories in sports history. Before the start of the season, they were outsiders with a probability of winning 5000 to 1. But one fan was not afraid to take a chance and bet on the team to win. The player bet £100 and walked away with £200,000. The surprise is not the insane rate. It is a miracle that Leicester City has won the Premier League in England.
Phil Michelson and the Baltimore Ravens
Phil Michelson is not only known around the world as a golfer. He does not mind betting on his favorite team. In 2001, Michelson made a $20,000 NFL bet on the Baltimore Ravens. They should have won the Super Bowl by a 22/1 odds. The Ravens defeated the New York Giants, and the win earned Michelson $560,000.
Billy Walters' Bet
In 2010, the New Orleans Saints fought the Indianapolis Colts. Walters made a $3.5 million bet on the Saints, which were underdogs at the time. New Orleans ultimately surprised the Colts with a 31-17 win in Super Bowl XLIV. Walters claimed to make between $50 million and $60 million by betting on sports in a "good year." In 2017, he was sentenced to 5 years in prison, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he was released into custody. It is unclear if he continues to bet on sports.
Charles Barkley and the Super Bowl
Charles Barkley is widely recognized for his successes in his basketball career. But the fame of the athlete was brought by his passion for betting. One of his biggest wins came when Barkley put $500,000 on the New England Patriots. They were supposed to win the Super Bowl in 2002. Previously, the team lost 14 points to the Rams and ended up in outsiders. But this did not scare Barkley, and he walked away with $800,000. There have been major defeats in the history of basketball betting. Barkley bet $100,000 on the Falcons, who lost 28-3 to the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Richard Hopkins and Lewis Hamilton Futures
Richard Hopkins decided to take his son to go-karting. There he met young Lewis Hamilton. The man was so impressed by the young talent that he decided to bet 200 pounds on the boy. Hamilton should win the Grand Prix by age 23 at odds, which was possible with a probability of 300 to 1. Hopkins also bet that Lewis will become the world champion by odds of 500 to 1. Now Lewis Hamilton is known as one of the greatest drivers of Formula 1 of all time, and Richard Hopkins received £165,000.
NFL bet in 5 stages
In 2017, the MGM player decided to bet on a 5-stage tournament in which 4 favorites participated: Ravens, Patriots, Leaders and Raiders. He bet on the inconspicuous Detroit Lions and bet a lot - $8,500, but the prize money was huge. When the Lions snatched a 24-10 win from the New York Giants, the player walked away with $250,000. This win is recognized as one of the largest winnings in the history of sports betting.
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