Sports betting is a fun activity, which is enjoyed by many. While most people prefer to bet and win with small sums, a few others manage to get insanely huge profits from sports wagering. GBC Time has prepared a list of the largest winnings in the history of sports betting.
This article covers some of the biggest wins from betting on the outcome of the different sports events, like:
- Basketball;
- Football;
- UFC;
- American football;
- Horse racing.
$14 million – Anonymous bettor
Back in November 2017, an unknown lucky gambler became super-rich in one moment. He won $14 million after successfully betting on the Basketball World Series game between LA Dodgers and Houston Astros.
It is rumored that the bettor was a young man, below 30. Some say he was from Eastern Europe.
$3.5 million bet – poker pro Billy Walter
A popular poker player Billy Walter also became known for his betting enthusiasm. In 2010, Walter made a $3.5 million bet on a Super Bowl game. He successfully wagered that New Orleans will overcome the Colt. This was the first Super Bowl win for then underdogs New Orleans. It is still a mystery how much the poker player won from this wager.
$2.5 million – Vegas Dave
As his name suggests, Vegas Dave is a famous gambler from Nevada. In 2015, Dave won a whopping $2.5 million betting on the outcome of the World Series. Vegas Dave wagered $140k on the Kansas City Royal becoming the 2015 champions and was not wrong. The gambler placed his bets with fifteen different sportsbooks.
In fact, this is the second big sportsbook win for Dave, who also got $200k betting on UFC fighter Holly Holm.
£1.45 million – Steve Whiteley
In 2011, a 61-year-old engineer Steve Whiteley made history, when he cashed out nearly £1.5 million over a £2 bet on horse races. Moreover. Whiteley entered the race with a free ticket. The man placed a wager on six horses, one of which previously lost twenty-eight races.
$1.2 million – James Adducci
To win such a massive sum, Adduci had to wager $85k on Tiger Woolds winning the 2019 Golf tournament. Woods did not disappoint and won the first major golf tournament in ten years.
£1 million – Fred Craggs
This salesman from Yorkshire is truly one of the luckiest men alive. Craggs won £1 million on just a £0.50 wager. He bet on the eight-fold accumulator on several horse racing events.
Interestingly, Craggs was absolutely clueless about his newfound fortune until he came to the sportsbook to make the next bet.
£800 000 – Mike Futter
In 2003, this lucky gentleman won a total of £800k placing a bet on his own horse – Monty’s Pass. Part of the sum (£400 000) Futter got from the wager. He also was given £348k for being the horse owner.
$800 000 – Charles Barkley
In 2002, NBA winner Charles Barkley became popular for making an insane $800k on the $500k Super Bowl bet. Barkley bet on New England to win the competition. At the time, the team was a 14-point underdog competing with St. Louis Rams.
£585 000 – Anonymous on a £1 bet
On the Island of Malta, an unnamed gambler has won more than half a million pounds with just a £0.80 bet. The anonymous punter wagered on the Liverpool beating Chelsea. The player got a prize on the nineteen-fold accumulator after Liverpool secured a winning goal in the last three minutes of the match.
£550 823 – Darren Yates
Back in 1996, Yates become famous in horse racing when he placed a £62 bet on jockey Frankie Dettori. Yates predicted he would win seven rides at Askot. This wager brought Yates a whopping £550k.
Read more: Top Canadian Betting Platforms
