Six of the Craziest Sports Bets in the USA
All sports bettors have one thing in common. They love the blood rush that comes with making high-risk, high-reward bets. They understand there’s always the potential of winning everything from a bet. Still, they risk large sums of money for the small chance that it could turn into something big.
In the USA, people that traditionally want to make big sports bets visit Las Vegas, the gambling capitol of the world. That’s where sportsbooks allow you to wager up to $5 million on sports. To be clear, though, sports betting is now legal in multiple states across the country.
That said, here’s a list of some of the craziest sports bets placed at American sportsbooks.
#1: Vegas Dave’s Bet on Kansas City Royals—Won $2.5M
In 2015, a serial gambler who goes by the name “Vegas Dave” (real name Dave Oancea) wagered on the Kansas City Royals to win their first World Series in 30 years at odds 30 to 1. No one thought it was possible—the Royals were last in their division.
Still, many bookies refused to accept the man’s $100,000 bet due to its size. As a solution, Vegas Dave spread the money at various sportsbooks in Nevada. Eventually, the Royals clinched the World Series and Dave walked away with $2.5 million in return.
What did Dave do with the money? On a Facebook post, the baseball fan said he would buy his parents their dream house and donate some of the cash to uplift underprivileged kids in Nevada.
#2: Tiger Woods’ Super Fan at 2019 Masters
When Tiger announced his return to golfing 2018, many people encouraged him to retire. Some thought he was done and couldn’t win any more masters. But for one superfan, James Adduci, Tiger was destined to bounce back into golf by winning the 2019 Masters, at least that’s why he wagered $85,000 on him.
Woods had odds 14 to 1 at William Hill, the British sportsbook that’s now available in Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Adduci says he was convinced Tiger would win the Masters but he had to request permission from his wife before placing the bet, which he claims was his first ever.
Unfortunately, Adduci wagered yet another $100,000 at William Hill for Woods to win all golf four majors in 2019. But he wasn’t lucky. All the same, he’ll forever be proud of that moment he won $1.275 million for believing in Tiger.
You can also wager on sports online at William Hill and all other licensed bookies in states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Discover more about PA online sports betting from betting.us. The website also features betting guides for other states, so look around to learn how to bet on sports in your state too.
#3: 20,000 to 1 NFL Parlay Winner
Winning Parlays is never easy. So, when someone takes on a 15-parlay and wins, it’s something newsworthy. In 2015, Tayla Polia, an NFL fan risked $5 to bet on 15 football games for the chance to win $100,005. The 26-year-old Las Vegas resident claims her giant win was only her second ever bet.
Interestingly, Polia admitted she didn’t fully understand how Parlays work and was even surprised when William Hill called to confirm that she had won. Apparently, she had wagered spreads in some of her picks. As such, she still won even though some of the teams she had picked lost.
#4: Vegas Dave’s bet against Ronda Rousey
Vegas Dave might be controversial for always selling betting tips on social media and losing many of them. But no one can deny he has a couple of huge wins. One such triumph, besides his bet on the Royals, is a wager in which she placed $20,000 on Rhonda Rousey to lose in the UFC for the first time.
Rousey was entering UFC 193 as the favorite. On the flip side, her opponent, Holly Holm was coming as underdog with odds 16 to 1. Before the bout, Dave had claimed he planned to bet $10,000 against Rousey until she eventually lost.
But somehow, he wagered $20,000 on William Hill. And by the stroke of luck, Holm KO’d Rousey with a head kick, ensuring Dave would walk away with $240,000. As if that wasn’t enough luck, Vegas Dave wagered $77,000 the following year for Miashe Tate to beat Holly Holms and she did. Dave won $192,500 from this bet.
#5: Billy Waters Bet on New Orleans Saints
Billy Walters is one of the most successful gamblers in the US. He’s a billionaire who made his fortune primarily through gambling and stocks trading. He’s also had trouble with the law, something that cost him three years in prison—he will serve the remaining two years of his five-year sentence under home confinement.
As a punter, Billy Walters has been so successful that he’s often hired people to place bets on his behalf. One of his most successful wagers on backing the New Orleans Saints for the win at Super Bowl XLIV. New Orleans won 31-17, helping Billy take home $3.5 million
For a man who claims to have won an average of $50M to $60M during his gambling career, Walters surely knows the secrets for betting success. And sure enough, he’s won at least $1M gambling multiple times, from the $2.3M he won backing the University of Southern California during college sports to the $3.8M million he won from roulette with a friend in Atlantic Club Casino.
#6: Mayweather on Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers
Mayweather Jr is not only one of the most successful boxers out there. But he’s also a high-risk taker when it comes to gambling. One of his craziest bets was when he backed the Miami Heat to beat the Pacers in the 2013 NBA finals game seven.
Mayweather wagered $5.9 million in the game for a chance to win $600,000. Now, $600,000 is a lot of money. But it was still crazy thank he risked nearly ten times that amount for a 10% profit.
