When it comes to making money, there are a million ways to go about it – and whilst the majority of them involve hard work, others come down to none other than lady luck. Whilst sports betting is a risky business, it’s a regular hobby for many, and several betters have beaten the odds of accumulators to win big in sports including football, rugby, cricket, horse racing, basketball, and more.
With the FIFA World Cup 2018 approaching, it’s prime time for betters in search of that adrenaline fix, so what better time to take a look back on the biggest sports betting accumulator wins in history to get you pumped up for the tournament?
Huge Sports Betting Wins
Sportsbooks all over the world rely on accumulator bets to lure punters into wagers that are next to impossible to win. Many people bet, tempted by the prospect of a great win at the cost of pocket change. Interestingly enough, once in a blue moon, there is a lucky better who succeeds to win big and, thus, encourages others to take up sports betting as well.
1. £625,000 win, anonymous
One of the biggest wins in football history happened in November 2014, when an anonymous better earned the biggest possible accumulator jackpot. Playing £100 8-fold while odds were a staggering 6,542/1, his luck was well and truly in when he managed to walk away with a whopping £650,000. How did he do it? By betting on these!
– Leyton Orient to draw against Coventry (5/2),
– Bristol City to beat Oldham (5/4),
– Charlton to draw with Sheffield Wednesday (3/1),
– Wigan to draw with Fulham (7/5),
– Blackburn to beat Reading (29/20),
– Cardiff to win against Leads (13/10),
– Stoke to draw with West Ham (18/1),
– Arsenal to win against Burnley (13/20).
As if that wasn’t exciting enough, the bet was placed during the West Ham – Stoke match, with the former already at a two-goal disadvantage. Whether the win was down to a great strategy, or the fact that his stars had simply aligned – he walked away a wealthy man, with one of the biggest wins in sporting history.
2. £1.45 million win by Steve Whiteley
In the spring of 2011, Steve Whiteley found himself the recipient of the biggest accumulator win in the UK. Steve, a 61-year-old heating engineer, had travelled by bus to the horse races and placed a pitiful £2 bet for fun – yet just hours later, he was thanking his lucky stars after picking all six winners and scooping £1.45 million. So how exactly did he do it?
Having never been to the races before, Steve was in attendance on the date in question purely because he received some free tickets – a sure sign, if ever there was one, that it was meant to be. Instead of going for the Jackpot, he decided to select one horse at each race – succeeding where seasoned betters failed despite his lack of experience.
If betting on horse racing is something you would be interested in then take a look at The Winners Enclosure. This site offers nap of the day tips daily so you can bet on the horse they fancy the most each day. Hopefully by following their NAP tips you too can win big.
3. £500,000 win, anonymous
Another great win happened in August 2000, when a punter struck it lucky after correctly predicting the winners of the Champions League, the English Rugby Union Champions, the County Cricket Championship Winners, and the three Scottish divisions in football – all in one go. With a bet of just 30p at odds of an overwhelming 1,666,666/1, he managed to reach a net jackpot amounting to £500,000.
4. £585,000 win, anonymous
2011 was a great year for betters, with November seeing one individual place an audacious 80p bet which saw him become the recipient of a massive £585,000 win. Resting on Glen Johnson’s winning goal, which secured a win for Liverpool against Chelsea, the six figure win was easy pickings for one unsuspecting gentleman – with another similar story of a house-wife who bet just £1 on 12 football games and landed an astonishing 574,278.
5. £1 million win, by Fred Craggs
The last win in our top 5 is a genuine “rags to riches” story. Fred Craggs, a 60-year-old fertilizer salesman from Yorkshire, managed to snag a £1 million win with a bet of just 50p, placing his 8-fold accumulator bet on horse races scheduled worldwide. His predictions panned out and he scooped the lot – though amusingly, he wasn’t even aware of his win until he visited the bookmarker again to place a new bet.
With many other success stories out there, it’s proof that a great win can happen to anyone, from seasoned better to hopeful newbie, and even the accidental millionaire. Keep this in mind the next time you place a bet at the Fifa World Cup – it really could be you.
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