Even if you are not interested in the world of gambling and lotteries, and have never bet on sports, you probably know that the latter account for about 40% of the total gambling market.
According to the analytical and news resource, every 2nd inhabitant of the planet over the age of 18 made bets on sports and non-sports events.
Do you know that bets on various sporting events began to be accepted several thousand years ago? In those ancient times, the fans had their own favorites, on which they bet huge amounts of money, trying to predict the outcome of certain competitions. It is quite understandable that even today bookmakers are extremely popular.
You can also read: Premier Hockey Federation Drops 2022 Preseason Schedule.
However, let’s try to figure out what we know about this hobby of many gamblers? You can do this without much difficulty by reading the very interesting facts about sports betting on ice hockey, which will be presented below.
- First of all, it should be mentioned that the leading position in the betting business is confidently occupied by the UK. It is noteworthy that the first analogues of modern bookmakers began to actively work here several centuries ago. This business was quite profitable, since the annual turnover in such establishments reached several billion pounds! At the same time, the British liked to bet not on football at all, as they do today, but on the weather or boxing.
- Mysticism is a rather rare phenomenon in sports betting, but still there is one extraordinary case that deserves special attention. A simple worker – Mick Gibbs won 800 thousand dollars, betting only 50 cents. The young man immediately guessed 15 exact outcomes in one “express” and then safely received a well-deserved reward.
- There is no doubt that you have heard at least once about the “end of the world”, because this topic was actively discussed at the beginning of this century. Of course, bookmakers also could not ignore the potential threat. Some bookmakers took bets that the year 2000 would be the last in the history of mankind, offering their customers huge odds. True, it is quite difficult to answer the question of who would pay the money to the winners, in the event of a correct outcome.
- It should also be noted that bookmakers never forget about famous personalities. For example, when the musical compositions of the American singer Britney Spears were extremely popular, betting enthusiasts often risked their money, hoping to get a big win if the performer suddenly became pregnant from one of her many fans. As a result, this did not happen, although the chances were estimated as 1 to 28!
- There have been quite a few ridiculous bets in the history of the betting business, so gamblers have always had enough imagination. For example, once, bookmakers accepted bets that Elvis Presley would definitely shoot down a UFO with a shot from a gun, and then the “apparatus” would fall right into the lake with the Loch Ness Monster and kill the reptile. Of course, the chance that such an event will occur is minimal – 1 in 15 million. However, these are not all interesting facts that deserve your attention.
- One of the most unexpected wins was received by an amateur bettor from Norway – Thomas Savirson. The man decided to put money on the fact that the Uruguayan scorer Luis Suarez would certainly bite someone during a football match with the Italian national team. Fans with experience, for sure, remember that one of the leaders of Barcelona then could not restrain his aggression. The victim was Italian Giorgio Chielini, who had bite marks on his shoulder. Accordingly, Mr. Savirson’s prediction turned out to be correct, which allowed the man to get a win – almost 6,000 kroons.
- As you know, advertising plays an important role in the development of every business, and bookmaking is definitely not an exception to the rule. So, the most extraordinary advertising idea belongs to Sportingbet and football player Niklas Bendtner. During one of the matches, the Danish striker scored a goal, and then showed the fans the logo of the bookmaker’s office, depicted on his underpants. The marketing ploy was really successful, but the footballer himself was disqualified for his act.
The first and most interesting bets
Scientists know that the first predictions for sports were given in ancient Rome and Greece. References to betting can be seen in materials related to 17th and 18th century Britain and France.
Unusual sports betting that went down in world history:
- Correct weather forecast in 13 cities. In 2010, shortly before Christmas, a certain Cliff Bryant went to the Ladbrokes bookmaker and entered into a bet that snow would fall in 13 cities in the north of England during the holidays. His assumption turned out to be correct: on Christmas Eve, it actually snowed in the settlements of Britain – for the first time in seven years. Due to the fact that Bryant made an express bet (multiplication of odds) and not a single bet, his winnings amounted to more than 7 million pounds (approximately $ 11 million). But the office staff gave him only 30 pounds, saying that the rate was accepted by the operator by mistake, and “weather” express trains are prohibited.
- Elvis Presley VS aliens. One of the most ridiculous predictions in history is the following: American singer Elvis Presley will shoot down a UFO. An alien ship will land in Loch Ness, killing its famous monster. The coefficient for this event, invented by the bookmaker William Hill, was 14,000,000. Much later – in 2017, one of the British offices began to offer guests a bet that the king of rock and roll, who died in 1977, is still alive in reality.
- Horse Racing. What could be unique about a horse race bet? The ratio of the amount of the dispute and the amount of winnings. In 1995, Ladbrokes paid out £210,000 in an event with quote 3072887. The winner bet only 5p. By the triggered multiplier, this win is the largest in history.
