Whether it’s a monster accumulator or a long shot no one saw coming, the biggest betting wins are nothing short of inspirational. These feel-good true stories shine a light on some of the greatest punts from around the world. Smart betting is a skill, and these wins are the equivalent of scoring an absolute screamer from behind the halfway line. Find out how they pulled it off and what you can learn from them, right here.
- 1 25. Adrian Hayward: £25,000 on a £200 bet
- 2 24. Anonymous punters: $76,000 on a $0.10 bet
- 3 23. Tayla Polia: $105,000 on a $5 bet
- 4 22. Gerry McIlroy: £100,000 on a £200 bet
- 5 21. Nicholas Newlife: £101,840 on a £1,520 bet
- 6 20. Peter Edwards: £125,000 on a £50 bet
- 7 19. Mick Gibbs: £157,000 on a £2.50 bet
- 8 18. Richard Hopkins: £165,000 on several bets
- 9 17. Vegas Dave: $200,000 on a $20,000 bet
- 10 16. Anonymous punter: $250,000 on a $8,500 bet
- 11 15. Anonymous punter: £200,000 on a £100 bet
- 12 14. Anonymous punter: $305,375 on a $5 bet
- 13 13. Erick Lindgren: $340,000 on a prop bet
- 14 12. Anonymous punter: $375,000 on a $500 bet
- 15 11. Phil Mickelson: $560,000 on a $20,000 bet
- 16 10. Mick Gibbs: £500,000 on a £0.30 bet
- 17 9. Darren Yates: £550,000 on a £62 bet
- 18 8. Anonymous punter: £585,000 on a £0.80 bet
- 19 7. Charles Barkley: $800,000 on a $500,000 bet
- 20 6. James Adducci: $1.2 million on an $85,000 bet
- 21 5. Mike Futter: £800,000 on betting his own horse
- 22 4. Fred Craggs: £1 million on a 50p bet
- 23 3. Steve Whiteley: £1.5 million on a £2 bet
- 24 2. Vegas Dave: $2.5 million on a $140,000 bet
- 25 1. Billy Walters: $3.5 million on one Super Bowl bet
- 26 What Makes A Betting Win Truly Remarkable?
- 27 Which Are the Bookies With the Biggest Betting Wins?
- 28 Biggest Casino Wins and Payout Limits
- 29 Big Betting Wins Are Rare: That’s Why They’re Famous
- 30 Using Sportsbook Promotions for Huge Betting Payouts
- 31 Biggest Accumulator Betting Wins
- 32 ThePuntersPage Final Say
- 33 Biggest Betting Wins FAQs
25. Adrian Hayward: £25,000 on a £200 bet
The first of our notable gambling wins comes straight from Merseyside. In 2005, Liverpool fan Adrian Hayward placed £200 on Xabi Alonso scoring from his own half at 125/1. A year later against Luton, it happened. Hayward won £25,000. “I couldn't believe it when Luton got a corner and the keeper started to run upfield… I thought I was going to pass out,” he said. “When it went in, I went crazy.”
24. Anonymous punters: $76,000 on a $0.10 bet
Two savvy punters in Saratoga Springs popped just 10 cents on a superfecta, that’s naming the first four horses in exact order. The winner alone was 88/1. Somehow, they nailed it, landing an eye-watering $76,000 from pocket change. It’s the sort of win that makes you double-check your betting slip about ten times. Absolute scenes.
23. Tayla Polia: $105,000 on a $5 bet
With barely any betting experience, Tayla Polia casually placed a $5 NFL parlay with 15 separate picks and got every single one right. We're talking 20,000/1 odds here. Her bet? A mix of spreads and over/unders that even the NFL betting pros wouldn’t attempt. And she pocketed $105,000 for her troubles. Beginner’s luck? Maybe. But either way, a cracking result.
22. Gerry McIlroy: £100,000 on a £200 bet
Back in 2004, Rory McIlroy’s dad bet £200 at 500/1 that his teenage son would win the British Open within a decade. A bold shout, but Rory came through, lifting the Claret Jug in 2014. Gerry walked away with £100,000, and a few mates who’d followed suit earned big too. Ladbrokes weren’t thrilled, but what a bit of fatherly faith!
21. Nicholas Newlife: £101,840 on a £1,520 bet
Nicholas Newlife spotted greatness in Roger Federer early on and wagered over £1,500 that he’d win fourteen Grand Slam titles before 2020. Federer had them in the bag by 2012, but sadly, Newlife had passed away by then. The winnings, over £100k, went straight to Oxfam, per his will. A brilliant bet with a wholesome ending.
20. Peter Edwards: £125,000 on a £50 bet
When his grandson Harry Wilson was just a one years old, Peter Edwards placed a bet of £50 that the lad would one day play for Wales. Most thought he was bonkers. Fast forward 15 years, young Harry made his debut at 16 and Peter pocketed £125,000. He retired on the spot. Imagine calling your pension early thanks to a toddler’s left foot.
19. Mick Gibbs: £157,000 on a £2.50 bet
Back in 1999, Mick Gibbs placed a £2.50 accumulator across nine football matches in Europe. Every single one came in, earning him a whopping £157,000 on one of the most legendary life-changing sports bets. Not bad for a roofer with a bit of football knowledge. The best part? This wasn’t even his biggest win. He'd top this years later with an even cheekier punt.
18. Richard Hopkins: £165,000 on several bets
In 1998, Richard Hopkins watched a young Lewis Hamilton tearing up a go-kart track and thought, this kid's got it. So he bet he'd win a Grand Prix by 23, and the World Championship by 25. Hamilton smashed both. Richard cleaned up with £165,000. Spotting a champion that early? That’s the stuff of legends.
17. Vegas Dave: $200,000 on a $20,000 bet
Ready for some high stakes-betting stories? Vegas Dave, known for his bold bets, fancied Holly Holm to shock Ronda Rousey at UFC 193. Everyone else thought he’d lost the plot. But Holm knocked Rousey out, and Dave walked away with $200,000. It takes serious bottle to throw twenty grand on an underdog. Credit where it’s due, he called it perfectly.
16. Anonymous punter: $250,000 on a $8,500 bet
One sharp bettor stuck $8,500 on a five-leg NFL parlay. The only thing we know about it is they needed the Detroit Lions to finish it off. They did just that, beating the Giants 24-10. The payout? A cool $250,000. Not your average Sunday afternoon, and definitely not your average flutter. Some bets just come together beautifully.
15. Anonymous punter: £200,000 on a £100 bet
When Leicester City were 5000/1 to win the Premier League, one brave punter threw £100 on them. Backing the winner of a big tournament is often one of the most popular betting markets, but few were backing Leicester at the time. But as the Foxes shocked the world and lifted the trophy, he banked £200,000 on one of the largest football bet payouts ever. There was also another lad called Leigh Herbert, who drunkenly stuck a fiver on and walked away with over £20k.
14. Anonymous punter: $305,375 on a $5 bet
One very lucky Las Vegas local had a legendary punt at William Hill, betting $5 on a parlay card with twelve basketball picks, including NBA sides like the Pistons and Warriors. Everything landed for one of the biggest betting wins of all time. That fiver turned into $305,375. As lucky weekends go, that’s right up there with the best of them.
13. Erick Lindgren: $340,000 on a prop bet
Professional poker player Erick Lindgren was dared to play four full rounds of golf in Vegas heat, carrying his own clubs and shooting under 100 each time. His mates thought he’d crumble. He didn’t. He completed all four and won $340,000. Turns out poker pros don’t fold under pressure, even in 40-degree heat.
12. Anonymous punter: $375,000 on a $500 bet
A mystery bettor placed two cheeky $250 punts on the St. Louis Cardinals to win the National League and the World Series in 2011. They did both earning him a tidy $375,000. Whoever he is, he knocked it out of the park.
11. Phil Mickelson: $560,000 on a $20,000 bet
Golfing legend Phil Mickelson backed the Baltimore Ravens to win the Super Bowl before the 2000 NFL season. He threw in $20,000 at 22/1 odds. The Ravens went all the way, and Phil banked $560,000. Well, we suppose he has always been good at long-shots.
10. Mick Gibbs: £500,000 on a £0.30 bet
He’s back again. Mick Gibbs bet just 30p on a 15-leg accumulator in 2001, with mind-boggling odds of over 1.6 million to 1. The final leg was Bayern Munich in the Champions League. It went to penalties. They won. Mick was half a million pounds better off in what must be among the largest football bet payouts ever. The roofer became a legend.
9. Darren Yates: £550,000 on a £62 bet
In 1996, Darren Yates put £62 on jockey Frankie Dettori winning all seven of his rides at Ascot. It sounded bonkers. But Frankie did the lot. Darren’s accumulator came in and landed him £550,000. It’s gone down as one of the most iconic days in horse racing and betting history, often referred to as the “magnificent seven”.
8. Anonymous punter: £585,000 on a £0.80 bet
A Maltese punter had a flutter on a 19-match football accumulator with just 80p. All results came in, the final being a late Liverpool winner at Chelsea. The odds? Over 683,000 to 1. His winnings? £585,000. Quite literally turning pennies into a fortune, and one of the biggest betting wins we’ve ever heard of.
7. Charles Barkley: $800,000 on a $500,000 bet
NBA legend Charles Barkley does not mess about. He slapped $500,000 on the Patriots to beat the Rams in the 2002 Super Bowl, even though they were 14-point underdogs. It turned out to be Tom Brady’s first Super Bowl win, and while few recognised his generational talent at the time, Barkley clearly saw something the rest of us missed.
6. James Adducci: $1.2 million on an $85,000 bet
In a bold move, James Adducci bet $85,000 on Tiger Woods to win the 2019 Masters. Tiger hadn’t won a major in over a decade, and bookies thought he was finished. But he pulled it off, and Adducci landed $1.2 million. That win also broke William Hill’s record for biggest futures payout.
5. Mike Futter: £800,000 on betting his own horse
Mike Futter backed his own horse, Monty’s Pass, in the 2003 Grand National at 66/1, 50/1 and 16/1 throughout the year. Futter had a right go at it and won £348,000 as the owner and another £400,000 in bets. It was a monster payday and one of our favourite high-stakes betting stories. No one knows your horse like you do.
4. Fred Craggs: £1 million on a 50p bet
Yorkshireman Fred Craggs put down 50p on an eight-race accumulator with horses from all over the world. Every single one romped home. He bagged £1 million and didn’t even realise he’d won until he went back for another bet. And if it wasn’t for the betting cap, he’d have won £1.4 million. It is both among the highest odds bet ever won and one of the largest sports betting payouts ever. The biggest triumph for Yorkshire since the invention of Wensleydale.
3. Steve Whiteley: £1.5 million on a £2 bet
Steve Whiteley got a free ticket to the races and thought he’d have a cheeky flutter. He stuck £2 on a six-race accumulator. One horse hadn’t won in 28 races. It did. So did the rest. Steve ended up £1.5 million richer. Talk about your unbelievable accumulator wins.
2. Vegas Dave: $2.5 million on a $140,000 bet
Dave Oancea, aka Vegas Dave, bet $140,000 on the Kansas City Royals to win the World Series at 30 to 1. Bookies didn’t fancy it. He had to split the bet across 15 casinos. But the Royals went all the way, and Dave scooped $2.5 million. That’s conviction for you.
1. Billy Walters: $3.5 million on one Super Bowl bet
Billy Walters isn’t just any gambler. He’s known for a record breaking 30 year winning streak and huge sportsbook payouts. In 2010, he bet $3.5 million on the Saints to beat the Colts in the Super Bowl. The Saints delivered their first title, and Billy delivered one of the biggest single wins in betting history.
What Makes A Betting Win Truly Remarkable?
First and foremost, the biggest betting wins, as the name suggests, need to come with monster cash prizes. We are talking about nothing less than the largest sports betting payouts ever, from hundreds of thousands to millions of pounds. Of course, it is all relative to the stake. For example, winning £1,000,000 from a 50p bet is far more impressive than turning £1,000,000 into £2,000,000. That is why we are also looking at the biggest odds bets ever won.
Then there’s the story behind the win. Do not get us wrong, life-changing sports bets are always fascinating, but if there is a compelling tale to go with it, even better. So, you might have the biggest accumulator win on record, but if it also comes with something wild, like Mike Futter backing his own horse or Billy Walters going on an incredible streak, then it becomes one of the all-time great gambling wins.
In short, a truly remarkable betting win needs three things. Big money, big odds, and an amazing story. That’s what makes these moments so captivating.
Which Are the Bookies With the Biggest Betting Wins?
Bookmakers that consistently provide large payouts don't publicly disclose these instances each and every time they occur; we rely on media-reported instances, such as the ones listed below.
1XBet – The Biggest Betting Win In The History Of Kazakhstan
We’ve seen some monster accumulators already but few are as impressive as the 44 event accumulator win from Almaty resident Mukhazhan. Bets were placed on a number of European football matches and with every one a winner he scooped an astounding 876,682,300 tenge from 100 thousand tenge, which translates to around a $2,000,000 win from only $238. Just as amazing is that he intends to spend the money from one of the biggest football betting wins on charity, as his wife runs a homeless animal charity from their home city of Almaty.
BetVictor – Biggest Betting Win With An Extra Boost
For anyone reading this who may doubt the power of a bet boost promotion, consider the extra 15 percent added to the winner of a 20-leg accumulator from BetVictor leading to an overall winning pot of £223,000. And one of the biggest football betting wins cost merely £5 to an anonymous winner, whose monster football focused acca came out a winner following Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Burnley back in 2016. We can guarantee that was not your regular Premier League match up for that punter.
Coral – Trio Of Massive Accumulator Examples
For Coral we have got three examples of the biggest ever betting wins as their news section does a better job than most of keeping track of the most significant sporting wins. We saw in 2017 and 2018, for instance, someone from Leicester win £823,000 from a £19 accumulator, a customer from Newcastle win £300,000 on a Lucky 63 accumulator (which included a 150/1 winner selection) and another win £250,000 on a £30 Heinz at Sandown. Great to see a bookie embrace their biggest winners, and amazing that all three were due to a horse racing accumulator. In addition to providing some of the largest sports betting payouts, Coral is also certainly one of the best horse racing betting sites.
Biggest Casino Wins and Payout Limits
It is not just sportsbooks where you will find the biggest betting wins. Casino games can produce massive paydays too. We are talking millions. In fact, the biggest UK payout we are aware of came in 2021, when the otherwise anonymous “Mr M” won £15,183,085.96 on Microgaming’s “Book of Atem Wowpot.” That puts it right up there with the record sports bets.
However, there are a couple of things that can stand between lucky punters and a vault of money worthy of Scrooge McDuck. First, there is the operator. Make sure you are only using the best casino sites the UK has to offer to ensure the broadest possible payout limits. Many have monthly or even daily limits on withdrawals, and that could mean big winners end up waiting a very long time to actually see the money in their account.
Then there’s the limits in the games themselves. Only the best betting slots and finest poker sites give you the chance to win millions. Always check the maximum limits on the game to see what the real possibilities are. When it comes to the biggest betting wins, progressive slots are where the super-sized jackpots are found, with the prize pool growing higher with every spin.
Big Betting Wins Are Rare: That’s Why They’re Famous
Looking at the biggest betting wins is a lot of fun. But they are also extremely rare. So rare, in fact, that it is unlikely any betting strategy will land these kinds of giant rewards. That’s just the mathematical reality. If you are aiming to actually walk away from a bookmaker with more money than you started with, your best bet is to focus on finding value, using stats, and developing a smart strategy, rather than chasing the highest odds ever won.
That said, if you do want to shoot for the stars, you absolutely can. We just want to be realistic about how likely it is to happen. Many of these incredible wins come from unbelievable accumulator wins, so if you fancy throwing 50p on a huge long shot just for fun, then as long as you enjoy yourself and stay in control, it’s all part of the joy of sports betting.
Or maybe you want to back an underdog outright. Let us say you reckon West Ham are going to shock the world next season and you stick a fiver on it. That’s something to keep you a bit more invested throughout the campaign. But because we are talking about such massive odds, our advice is to treat that money as if you are spending it purely for entertainment. That way, if it doesn’t come off, it is all expected and accounted for. And if it does land, well, the drinks are on you.
The Joy of Betting on the Improbable
Ben Gibson: As an example of how long odds can still be loads of fun, back in 2018 I wanted a reason to enjoy Belgium versus Japan, since I didn’t have a team to support. I stuck a fiver on Japan to win the World Cup and another on the game. Now I do it every tournament in a huge acca because it gives me an extra team to support and the enjoyment I get from it is well worth the money, even if I know it is not the wisest betting strategy.
Using Sportsbook Promotions for Huge Betting Payouts
You absolutely can use the best free bets and promotions to chase life-changing sports bets. In fact, if you’ve got some bonus funds a wild bet on huge odds may be the perfect use for them. However, it’s vital that you pay close attention to the terms and conditions.
There may be limits on the markets you can bet on and even on the maximum amount you can win using bonus funds. Imagine thinking you’ve won millions only discover your free bets winnings are capped at a few hundred quid, absolute nightmare fuel. So, read carefully and contact customer service if you’re unsure about anything.
Biggest Accumulator Betting Wins
There are essentially three ways the biggest betting sporting wins come to be.
The first possibility is that the stake to begin with was enormous, and thus any winnings would also, with any kind of reasonable betting odds, also be similarly massive.
The other possibility is that an amount was bet on an enormously unlikely (or so it seems at the time) single event, such as Leicester City winning the Premier League.
Most often though, as you will see from the many examples given in this article, come from accumulators, which means that they are the result of many bets all being successful to create such enormous odds and payouts.
This also means many of the biggest betting wins originated from small amounts. Even better, many operators offer great promotions for lengthy accumulators, providing even bigger winnings. Here’s a final few monster acca examples to showcase exactly what we mean.
Beginners Luck
In 2017 an unnamed housewife (she preferred to remain anonymous) decided to get involved in her son and husband’s passion of football and put on a £1 12 team accumulator. While it goes against normal strategic advice, we can’t help be amazed that she managed to win one of the biggest football betting wins, indeed, one of the biggest sports betting wins of all time at £574,278, simply by picking the names of the teams she liked the sound of most. Could this be the greatest example of beginner’s luck in all of gambling? It’s certainly one of the biggest ever betting wins.
A Thrilling Draw
What a scene it must have been. Dean Clay had one more bet to win in his 14-fold accumulator, which would net him £92.000 from a mere £2 bet. And it all rode on a draw between West Brom vs Burnley. What would typically have been a rather pedestrian bet must have set his nerves on edge in 2015. Burnley got an early two goal lead, all but leaving his winnings in tatters before the Baggies made an incredible comeback to provide one of our favourite winner stories. Shows that every game, every result, matters to someone.
Betting Against Barcelona
In 2011, it would generally be wise to advise not to bet against Barcelona, who were comfortably among the finest teams in the world at that time. Someone clearly disagreed though putting them among nine other underdog predictions on a £2.50 accumulator. He must have a crystal ball for upsets, as he won £272,000 from Ladbrokes, one of the biggest sports betting wins in part thanks to a draw between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao.
ThePuntersPage Final Say
The cool thing about most of the biggest betting wins is that they came from modest stakes. That means if you fancy chasing a huge sportsbook payout, you can do it without breaking the bank. Are you likely to win? Probably not. But as long as you know the risks, you can take your shot at a truly legendary punt and, win or lose, enjoy the ride along the way.
Biggest Betting Wins FAQs
Billy Walters, winning $3.5m (£2.7m) on New Orleans in the Super Bowl XLIV.
Betting sites like bet365, Paddy Power and William Hill offer a £2m maximum payout.
Steve Whiteley, netting £1.5 million on a £2 bet ticket where he successfully guessed the six winning horses.
An anonymous punter from Malta who bet 80p through William Hill on a 19-match accumulator to win £585k.
Casino betting tends to have maximum payouts based on the individual game, put simply, it entirely depends on the specific bets in question.
The lowest stake we are aware of that brought in a massive win was a superfecta, which is when you pick the first four horses in the exact order, placed by two anonymous punters from Saratoga Springs. With the winner alone coming in at 88/1, they turned a mere 10 cents into an astonishing 76,000 dollars.
It took 15 years for Peter Edwards to win his £50 bet that his grandson would one day play for Wales. Young Harry Wilson was just one year old at the time and would go on to make his debut at the age of sixteen. What is remarkable about this long-term long shot is that it actually took about as little time as possible to come good.