To quote John Newman, ”Money won is twice as sweet as money earned” – this couldn’t be more true than on the UK gambling scene, which is rich in entertaining and near-unbelievable stories from all those British betting enthusiasts…
Here are some of the best gambling stories UK gamblers have brought to the table: from risky all-or-nothing bets to becoming a millionaire off the back of impossible odds, these are some crazy casino stories from the UK that you simply have to hear.
Ashley Revell
Let’s kick things off with one of the most famous UK gamblers of the 21st Century (what a title to hold!) – Ashley Revell. This young Kentish man notoriously sold everything he owned including all his clothes, took the $120,000 to Vegas, which was all the money he had in the world, and gambled the lot on a single roulette wheel spin. The ball landed on red (lucky number 7) doubling his money in a matter of moments. With his winnings, Revell started his own online poker company and went on to be a successful businessman.
The story of this lucky gambler has inspired TV shows and appeared in various other pop culture references – Ashley Revell will always be known as the man who took a ridiculous risk and it actually paid off, but we wouldn’t recommend following in his footsteps!
Adrian Hayward
Hayward is a Berkshire-based football fan whose favourite team scooped him a whopping £25,000 when he bet on Xabi Alonso to score behind the halfway mark. The odds were a shattering 125 to 1, but Hayward wasn’t to be discouraged, placing a confident £200 on this unlikely outcome. The Spanish striker scored again Luton Town during the third round of the 2006 FA Cup, and won the Newbury local a life-changing sum on the largest bet he had ever made.
Fred Craggs
Back in 2008, Yorkshireman Fred Craggs decided to enjoy a little flutter on his 60th birthday, and placed a 50p bet on a horse race to celebrate. He went for an accumulator bet on eight horses, all of which had very unfavourable odds. However, on the day of the races his little gamble really paid off when every single one of the eight horses performed brilliantly, and Craggs ended up scooping a stunning £1 million off his humble 50 pence piece – what a birthday!
David Threlfall
The moon landing was an astounding feat that was watched by millions all over the world, and while many were entranced by the engineering accomplishment, for David Threlfall there was an additional layer of excitement to the event – he had placed a bet on a man landing on the moon before 1971. William Hill, the popular British bookies, gave him odds of 1,000 to 1 – the 1969 moon landing happened, and as Armstrong first set foot on the dusty surface, Threlfall scooped a whoppping £10,000 – over £150,000 in today’s money, all off the back of a meagre £1 bet.
The UK is home to some of the best gambling stories in the world, and the colourful betting culture continues to entertain punters from all walks of life. Could you be the next star of your own crazy casino story?
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