The dream of a massive betting payout is, more often than not, just a dream. But luck is a funny thing and every so often, a story emerges about a punter who has actually managed to defy the betting odds. These stories are made even more impressive when the initial bet made is relatively small compared with the sizeable winnings. Here are a few of the biggest betting wins to drool over.
9 Big Betting Wins
1. R1 million win off R50 bet
One South African got his Halloween off to a particularly great start by taking the country’s biggest online payout in betting history – R1 million off of a R50 each-way accumulator bet. The Durbanite – who revealed he would invest his winnings – picked eight horses in eight races and, somewhat miraculously, came out tops. He managed to win on odds of 95215/1…but maybe starting off by betting on a horse named ‘Blast’ was a good omen.
2. R2.1 million win off R200 bet
Another South African managed to add an extra six zeros to her R200, taking home a whopping R2.1 million payout. The Benoni resident bet on 28 soccer games, the Confederations Cup, among them, and scored herself a princely sum. A truly big betting win.
3. R760 094 win off R100 bet
Although not tipping the R1 million mark, R760 094 is not a bad win having bet just R100. This was the case for one Welkom resident who placed bets on the Lotto Double Draw – winning him R495 905 – with an added Double Draw Bonus of R264 189.
Read more: Lotto Betting Strategies
4. R9.6 million win off R5 bet
Well it doesn’t get better than this. Almost R10 million off a measly R5 bet. This was the reality for one self-employed English businessman who put down 30p (or R5) on a 15-event accumulator bet for the Champions League. The odds of him winning were 1 666 666/1 – considered a world record. Not a bad way to spend R5. Perhaps the biggest betting win ever.
Read more:Leicester City a football fairytale
5. R6.7 million win off R19 bet
A Glaswegian father-of-two decided to throw away £1 (or R19) on a seven-horse accumulator bet online. The punter was rewarded with his very careful bet as all seven horses came in tops, and the happy dad came out grinning.
6. R19.2 million for R9.50 bet
Often betting on preferred names or numbers will leave you empty handed, but this wasn’t so for Fred Craggs, one of Yorkshire’s luckiest residents. He put down a simple bet of 50p (R9.50) on an eight-horse accumulator, among them the aptly-named ‘Isn’t That Lucky’, ‘Racer Forever’ and ‘A Dream Come True’. Well it was certainly that as the horses beat the 2 000 000/1 odds. A massive horse racing win.
Read More: Biggest Sports Betting Shocks
7. The ultimate slow play bet
While the initial bet of £100 (1 929) is quite high, this astute punter made the bet some 10 years before he would see his winnings. Richard Hopkins watched Lewis Hamilton karting when he was just 13 years old, and put down three bets – one that Hamilton would win his first Formula One race by the time he was 23 (he won at 22); a second that he would be the F1 World Champion by the time he turned 25; and a third that he would achieve both. Hopkins raked in a big total R2.4 million win.
8. R22 million win off R1 100 bet
From stable boy to millionaire on one lucky bet. Conor Murphy bet on all five of his boss’ horses winning at Cheltenham and he won the accumulator. Because the Irishman had placed the bet a whole three months before race day, he had even better odds. Remaining with the animals that made him so rich, Murphy became a trainer in Louisville.
Read more: NFL Picks, Predictions and Lines
9. R586 million win off R1 467 bet
And for the big finish. A 25-year-old American software engineer was killing time before a basketball game in Las Vegas and, what do you do to kill time in Vegas? He played $100 at the video slots and beat the odds of 16.7 000 000/1 to win a R586 million bet.
For specialized and comprehensive local and international sports betting as well as extensive in house and online sports betting facilities, visit Keith Ho BetXchange for the most competitive prices and the largest sports betting options available in South Africa.
