Home of football statistics and historyIt’s not just casino high-flyers who get to win big. There are plenty of times when sports punters have benefitted thanks to results that have gone against all the odds. Here are just a few examples of football’s biggest betting upsets.
In 2004, one of the biggest upsets in international football occurred when rank outsiders Greece lifted the European championship trophy. For a team that was not even fancied to emerge from qualification, the Greek national team took the tournament by storm by edging out Spain to claim second place in Group A before beating both France and the Czech Republic by a single goal in the knockout phase to set up a final showdown with Portugal. The final also ended 1-0 with the sparking incredible celebrations in Greece and amongst the few lucky punters who backed them at 150/1 before the tournament began.
“Euro 2004 Final” (CC BY 2.0) by wjarrettc
But despite their heroic achievements, Greece’s status as 150/1 outsiders was nothing compared the 5000/1 starting price for Leicester City to win the 2015/16 Premier League season. But due to the loyal nature of football fans, plenty backed them at that price to claim the crown. When Claudio Ranieri’s men were finally confirmed as champions, it is estimated that bookmakers paid out in excess of $14m to winning punters.
But if bettors want to win big at an online bookmaker they are not just restricted to betting on long odds sports events. Most popular sportsbooks, such as William Hill, also offer a full suite of games featuring casinos, slots and poker. By checking out the best online casino reviews, punters can now find bookmakers which cover all their requirements. So whether they are into horse racing and sports, or casino and bingo, there can find plenty of ways to win big.
Take, for example, the player from Finland who scooped €17,861,800 ($24 million) from a 25 cent play on a Scandinavian casino website. The win came courtesy of Net Entertainment’s Mega Fortune slot game which is well-known for its high progressive jackpots.
“Xabi Alonso” (CC BY 2.0) by RCuerda29
But such wins are surely the stuff of dreams? Well, talking of dreams. Back in 2006, UK-based punter Adrian Hayward dreamt that Liverpool midfielder and Spain international Xabi Alonso would score a goal from inside his own half. Such was the clarity of this vision that he acted on it and requested odds from his local bookies for the event to occur that season. He accepted the price of 125-1 and put down a stake of £200. The Basque Country player duly obliged with a long-range effort against Luton Town in the FA Cup and the mystic punter scooped £25,000.
Finally, we should mention one of the greatest ever comebacks in football. In the 2010 African Cup of Nations, Mali were trailing 4-0 to Angola with 11 minutes to spare but managed to snatch a 4-4 draw. Before they began their resurgence, one lucky punter wagered £5 at odds of 1000-1 odds on the draw, scooping £5,000 at the final whistle. While another waved goodbye to his student loan after punting £4,400 on Angola to hold on for the win, despite the fact that the bet would have only gained him £44 profit.
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