The Bookies’ Worst Nightmare: 4 Bets That Paid out Big Money
Gambling has been a popular pastime in the UK for centuries, with people wagering on everything from horse races to football matches. Even in British pop culture, there is an abundance of stories driven by the world of gambling, from Lock, Stock and 2 smokin’ barrels, to Peaky Blinders.
With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that the UK has the largest regulated gambling market in the world.
But what is the attraction to gambling?
What is the appeal for casual bettors to risk their well-earned paycheck on something which can be so fickle?
The answer is simple: the chance of winning life-changing amounts of money.
There have been some bets that have gone down in history for their sheer size and the daring of the gamblers who placed them. In this article, we will explore 4 of the biggest bets ever placed in the UK.
The £10,000 Bet on Frankie Dettori in 1996
In 1996, a man from London placed a £10,000 bet on jockey Frankie Dettori winning all seven races at Ascot. The odds of this happening were 25,000 to 1, but Dettori went on to win all seven races, and the punter walked away with £550,000. However, this was not the end of the story. The following year, the same punter placed a bet of £200,000 on Dettori to win three races at Ascot. Dettori won all three, and the punter walked away with a cool £1.2 million.
The £100 Bet on Leicester City in 2015-16
The 2015-16 Premier League season is one that will go down in history. Leicester City, who were 5000 to 1 outsiders to win the title at the start of the season, defied the odds and won the league. One punter from Leicester was so confident in his team's chances that he placed a bet of £100 on them to win the league. As the season progressed, he continued to place more bets, and by the end of the season, he had won a total of £650,000.
The £480,000 Bet on the Grand National in 2008
The Grand National is one of the biggest horse racing events in the world, and it has been the subject of some of the biggest bets in history. In 2008, a man from Wales placed a bet of £480,000 on the horse Comply or Die to win the Grand National. The odds of this happening were 7 to 1, but the punter was confident in his bet. Comply or Die went on to win the race, and the punter walked away with £3.3 million.
The £350,000 Bet on the General Election in 2017
Political betting has become increasingly popular in the UK in recent years, with people wagering on everything from the outcome of general elections to the date of the next royal baby's birth.
In 2017, one risk taker from London placed a bet of £350,000 on the Conservatives to win the general election. The odds of this happening were 1 to 7. Pretty low odds, but the gambler was confident in his bet. The Conservatives won the election, and the punter walked away with a profit of £50,000.
These bets demonstrate the daring of some of the UK's most successful gamblers, who were willing to risk large sums of money in order to win big.
However, it's important to remember that these bets are the exception rather than the rule, and most people who gamble do so for fun and entertainment rather than for financial gain.
So, remember never try to chase the dream bet.
Peter is our Editor-in-Chief at Gamblingauthority. He has more than eigth years of experience from the iGaming industry and is a valuable resource for everything related to online casinos.
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