All of us dream about it because we carefully select the odds, select our team, place wagers, and watch with bated breath. Since the final whistle blows, we all emphasise it also indicates the triumph of a lifetime. Would not that be something?
For many lucky bettors, it’s more than only a sweet sports gambling dream. We take a peek at some of the most famous and greatest wins in sports gambling history.
Grandpa Makes a Future Bet to Beat Them All
Football is the UK’s hottest game 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 , in 2000 (when Harry was a toddler),” Mr. Edwards went to the bookmakers and put a #50 bet (roughly $67) the boy could play for Wales, his national team. The chances were a small long shot at 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 bench for Wales. In the 87th minute of this World Cup qualifier against Belgium, Harry was hauled in as a substitute 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 man. The 13-year-old bet won his grandfather a tidy sum of #150,000.
A Quick and Furious Future Bet
In 1998 Richard Hopkins had a comparable foresight when he was watching his son, Evan, race a youthful Lewis Hamilton at a go-karting track. Convinced the young Hamilton had a speedy future before him, Hopkins put three different bets on the climbing racing celebrity.
The first was a #200 ($270) wager that Hamilton would acquire the Formula 1 before he turned 23, and an additional #100 wager he could be World Champion by 25. Hopkins was so certain of his predictions, that he put an extra next wager 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 place in the Brazilian Grand Prix at 2008, at 24. This meant that Hopkins’ third wager bagged him another #75,000.
All Mayweather’s Sports Bets
The most infamous 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 occasions. Since the highest paid sports superstar of all time, he’s got plenty of spare money to play with.
In the conclusion of the 4th quarter, Mayweather gathered 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 by a 7.5 point spread. A touchdown from the Broncos put them up by 14, clear of the vital points. In the end 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 to insider trading, Billy was the most notorious sports bettor of all time. His enormous stakes were so feared by the sportsbooks that he was actually banned from wagering.
One of his most remarkable bets was on the 2010 Super Bowl, when he put 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 just how much Walter raked in exactly, 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 sports announcer, Charles Barkley. While he’s best-known for his betting losses (reportedly totaling nearly $30 million), it was 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, plus an additional $50,000 on the moneyline, Barkley won both stakes.
The controversy arose from the small actuality that Barkley didn’t have sufficient credit in the Mandalay Bay sportsbook to pay the bet, and hadn’t signed a marker. Of course, the sportsbook were reluctant 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 the protagonist (or the envy) of your betting buddies? Tell us all about it in the comments below!

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