Gambling has produced some of the wildest and most outrageous stories in history. While most people stick to small wagers, others have risked their entire fortunes, reputations, and even their bodies on unbelievable bets. Some walked away as millionaires, while others lost everything in seconds.
Here are ten of the most incredible bets ever placed—and what happened next!
1. The Man Who Bet His Entire Life Savings on Red
- Who: Ashley Revell, a British gambler.
- The Bet: Sold everything he owned and bet his entire life savings ($135,300) on red at a roulette table in Las Vegas.
- What Happened Next: The ball landed on red 7, doubling his money! He walked away with $270,600 and quit gambling.
2. The £5 Million Super Bowl Bet
- Who: Floyd Mayweather (allegedly).
- The Bet: The undefeated boxer supposedly wagered £5 million on the Denver Broncos to win Super Bowl XLVIII.
- What Happened Next: The Broncos lost 43-8 to the Seattle Seahawks, costing Mayweather a fortune (though he never confirmed it officially).
3. The Man Who Bet Against the Entire UK Economy
- Who: George Soros, legendary investor.
- The Bet: Short-sold the British pound in 1992, betting that the UK would be forced to devalue its currency.
- What Happened Next: The pound crashed, and Soros made over £1 billion in a single day.
4. The 50p Bet That Made a Millionaire
- Who: An anonymous UK punter.
- The Bet: Placed a 50p accumulator bet predicting 9 football match results.
- What Happened Next: All predictions were correct, winning an astonishing £1 million!
5. The Guy Who Bet He Could Live in an Airport for a Month
- Who: Brian Zembic, professional gambler and magician.
- The Bet: Wagered he could live in a Turkish airport for 30 days with only the clothes on his back.
- What Happened Next: He won $7,000 after completing the challenge.
6. The 5,000/1 Bet That Predicted Leicester City’s Premier League Win
- Who: Several die-hard Leicester City fans.
- The Bet: Placed early-season bets at 5,000/1 odds that Leicester City would win the Premier League in 2015-16.
- What Happened Next: Leicester won, making some lucky fans hundreds of thousands of pounds.
7. The Poker Player Who Risked His Tournament Winnings on a Single Blackjack Hand
- Who: Erik Lindgren, professional poker player.
- The Bet: Took his $350,000 winnings from a poker tournament and put it on one hand of blackjack.
- What Happened Next: He lost it all in seconds!
8. The Man Who Had Breast Implants for £100,000
- Who: Brian Zembic (again!).
- The Bet: Wagered he would get breast implants and keep them for a year for a £100,000 prize.
- What Happened Next: He not only won the bet but kept the implants for decades because he got used to them!
9. The Gambler Who Bet on His Own Death
- Who: Jon Heywood, a terminally ill British war veteran.
- The Bet: Took out a “death bet” insurance policy, wagering that he would die within a certain timeframe.
- What Happened Next: He outlived the deadline, meaning he lost the bet—but kept his life!
10. The Guy Who Legally Changed His Name for a Free Bet
- Who: A football fan who changed his name to “GoldenPalace.com” after the casino offered a free £15,000 bet for doing so.
- What Happened Next: He won the money, but was stuck with the name for years before finally changing it back!
These ten bets prove that some people will risk anything for a shot at fortune or fame. Some walked away with life-changing wins, while others faced crushing losses.
What’s the craziest bet you’ve ever made? Let us know in the comments below!