Gambling throughout the years has made many people rich and some poor. Casino owners are rarely short of a pretty penny for good reason “The House Always Wins” is a common fraise we hear, but what happens when the house loses. Let’s go over a brief understanding of gambling and some of the biggest wins throughout history.
What is Gambling?
Gambling/Betting occurs when you participate in any game of chance or skill in which you bet something valuable with the possibility of winning a reward. People who gamble often put their money at risk with the expectation of gaining a larger quantity of money. For example, you could be willing to risk the expense of a lottery ticket in exchange for the opportunity to win a massive multimillion-dollar prize. When we think of gambling, we normally think of casinos or racetracks, but gambling also happens in other venues, such as gas stations, church halls, sports events, and on the Internet. Especially with recent developments in the Online gambling/betting scene.
Betting can be seen as a skilful endeavour, especially when you consider the hours spent by big-time winners looking into the odds and history of the player/team depending on the sport played. According to Safebettingsites, in the UK almost every sports betting site and particularly every new bookmaker with a presence in the country provides some kind of welcome incentive or bonuses. This has made UK bettors want to learn all about the best UK bonuses and promotions before deciding which is the best site to place their wagers on. If you have ever watched the film “Moneyball” you will grasp an in-depth understanding that sports aren’t physical games but also probability and mathematical machines. Or you can always be “normal” and see players as players with good games and bad games.
Let’s look into some of the world’s luckiest or most calculated bettors in Gambling History.
Leicester City Premier League Future
Leicester City’s Premier League victory in 2015 was one of the greatest upsets in sports history. They were 5000/1 outsiders before the season began, yet someone was ready to take a chance on them to win it all. A bettor wagered £100 and won £200,000 in the end. Not only is the bet insane, but the fact that Leicester City was able to defeat some of England’s top clubs is a tale in and of itself. That’s a 200x profit from just a simple bet. I think it would be safe to say he enjoyed some moments in London after that win.
Tiger Woods $85,000 Masters Bet
Tiger Woods is clearly the greatest successful golfer of all time, but he hasn’t been as consistent as he once was. That didn’t deter gambler James Adducci, who convinced his wife to let him put an $85,000 bet on Woods to win the 2019 Masters at 14/1 odds at William Hill. It paid out, and Adducci received almost $1.2 million dollars, breaking William Hill’s record for the highest-paid out future bet. Adducci also says that this was his first time betting on sports.
“Vegas Dave” Kansas City Royals Future
Most people associate “Vegas Dave” with his outspoken opinions and boasts about his betting record, but the truth is that he has won some huge bets. The wager on the Kansas City Royals to win the World Series at 30/1 was the one that truly placed him on the map. All because sportsbooks chose not to take all of his money, he dispersed it around 15 other casinos, and his diligence paid off. The Royals eventually won the World Series, and Vegas Dave pocketed $2.5 million.
Billy Walters New Orleans Saints $3.5 Million Bet
Walters got into some legal troubles in recent years thanks to insider trading, but before that, he was renowned as one of the top sports bettors in the industry. When the New Orleans Saints faced the Indianapolis Colts in 2010, Walters bet $3.5 million on the underdog Saints. New Orleans ended up stunning the Colts and winning Super Bowl XLIV 31-17. Walters has previously said that in a “good year,” he may earn between $50 and $60 million through sports betting. In 2017, he was condemned to five years in jail, but owing to the COVID-19 epidemic, he was freed to home confinement in 2020. It is unknown if he will continue to gamble on sports.
15-Leg NFL Parlay
Parlays are probably impossible, but the rewards are sometimes too great to ignore. Tayla Polia opted to place a bet on a 15-leg parlay in the NFL that paid out 20,000/1, despite the fact that this was just her second wager. Her parlay included nine favourites, five underdogs, and one over/under. Despite the fact that just $5 was bet on this gamble, it was a winner, and she received $105,000 for her pains. We don’t know how many times a 15-leg parlay has been struck, but we’re prepared to wager it can be counted on one hand.
