Bookmaker’s love to spin the narrative of the punter who hits the “dream win.”
That big accumulator bet that finally lands and allows Terry the plumber to retire early. In fact it is really the only time you will see bookmakers openly publicizing a winning bettor. Knowing that these Saturday accumulator punters are easy money for the bookmakers in the long term. The very occasional big win is paid for by the the thousands that lose weekend after weekend.
However there are times when even though a punter has hit the jackpot (good publicity for a bookmaker!) and the bookies sill have refused to pay out their winnings. Looking for any term and condition they can use to avoid parting with their money.
In today’s article we look at 10 of the biggest football bets bookmakers have refused to pay out!
#1 Ladbrokes’ £1,000,000 Heartbreaker
19 year old Jordan Donnellan’s bet could have made him a millionaire overnight. He thought that after placing an accumulator bet with 14 winning teams that he had won the jackpot. However he placed his bet using a “weekend result rush” slip which required both teams to score in each game.
This error turned his dream into dust. Ladbrokes’ refusal to honor the £1 million payout due to it being placed on the wrong bet slip. Showing how a small error can be very costly.
#2 William Hill’s £285,000 Odds Mix-Up
George Garan thought he had beaten the odds with a life-changing win on a six team accumulator bet. The total odds of the accumulator on the slip added up to a win of £285,000. The problem however was that George had been given the away team odds rather then the home team odds by the shop cashier.
Which allowed William Hill to use the palpable error clause to adjust the odds.
William Hill’s claim of incorrect odds reduced his celebration to ashes. The true odds of his accumulator ended up paying out at a mere £19.
#3 BoyleSports’ £14,000 Denial
The next punter to fall foul of the bookmakers was Belfast based Riain Davey. Whose potential winnings were slashed to mere pennies on the pound when BoyleSports declared his bet void due to a supposed error. Davey was slicking his lips at the prospect of £14,000 in winnings coming his way.
He placed 3 bets on the opening games of Euro 2016, which involved teams to win, the score lines and teams not to concede. Boylesport accepted these bets and let them run. When it came time to pay out however they stated the bets should not have been accepted and used their terms and condition to avoid paying out.
We all know what would have happened if the bet had lost.
Would Riain Davey have been refunded?
No chance!
#4 666Bet’s £22,500 Void
Jamie Ross placed a £100 accumulator bet involving 17 selections across the Italian, Spanish and French football leagues. Which to his delight won and should have paid out a nice sum of £22,500.
However his accumulator win turned into a nightmare when 666Bet’s operations were suspended. In a twist of fate the moment he logged in to collect his winnings, 666bet licence had been removed and he was unable to access his account. Ross would look to secure his winnings via legal channels however 666bet folded and its owner was arrested on charges of fraud.
#5 Coral’s £20,000 Technicality
Roofer Andrew Jones’s was in his local Coral shop when he came across odds that seemed too good to be true. An offer had popped up on the updates screen offering England to beat Wales 2-1 in an upcoming Euro 2016 games at odds of 4000.
Although this appeared to be an error, he asked the cashier in the shop if the odds were available and to his surprise the cashier confirmed that he could place this bet at the odds on screen. Jones’s locked in a £5 bet and was jumping for joy as England won the game 2-1 with a 92nd minute goal.
His joy over a significant win was short-lived when Coral backtracked on the payout due to a so-called “technical error.” This tale exemplifies the heartbreak that comes when bookies refuse to honor their own odds.
#6 Coral’s £250,000 Rejection
Long time punter Albert Kinloch thought he had finally done it when he landed a winning bet netting £250,000. In the 2011/2012 Scottish Premiership season, Kinloch bet on Rangers at odds of 2,500 to be relegated. This was at a time where Rangers were 2nd in the league and fighting for a championship.
However at the end of that season due to their financial status. Rangers went into administration and were indeed relegated to the third tier of Scottish football.
This bet and payout was met with resistance when Coral argued over the technical definition of “relegation,” refusing the massive payout. The issue went to court and this legal battle highlights the complexities of betting terms and conditions.
The court eventually ruled in favour of the bookmaker.
#7 The £9,000 Heartbreak with Coral
Oshane Grant is the next unlucky punter on our list. His story is one of initial success followed by disappointment, as Coral retracted his winnings due to an odds mistake. This was another accumulator bet that was placed in a betting shop.
Oshane had backed Serbia, France and Argentina to all score at least 3 goals in their respective World Cup 2014 matches. He placed £100 on this bet with an expected payout of £9,250 to be returned should he have won. In an all too common theme with this article Coral said a mistake had been with the odds on his bet slip. Stating that his slip should only bring in a profit of £1,200 as he had been given odds on all 3 teams to score 4 or more goals.
#8 Coral deny £15,000 win
If there is one thing you take from this article then its probably not rely on Coral shop staff for any knowledge of betting rules. Liam Manifold placed a bet on the World Cup in 2022, placing 3 bets on the tournament involving picking eventual winners Argentina.
Coral accepted the bet without any issues however when it came time to pay up. They claimed that the bet had too many correlated bets and they could not be put together in a multiple. Another case of a football bet a bookie refused to pay out on!
#9 Grand Father Denied £1,000 by Technicality
Phil Worthington a grandfather from Stockport was denied a £1000 winning bet after he bet on Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea to finish in the top three. Along with Burnley, Watford and Norwich to get relegated.
At the end of the season when he came to collect his bet from a Coral shop. You guessed it, he was told there had been a mistake and that his winning were actually £50.
#10 Skybet Shots On Target Scandal
Closing our list is online bookmaker Skybet. Who offered punters an enhanced price on Lionel Messi to have 2 shots on target against Mexico. Then decided they didn’t want to pay out and adjusted the definition of what a shot on target actually is.
This decision didn’t just effect one punter but thousands who placed this bet. What was crazy about this situation was that it was a huge televised game with clear proof that Messi had 2 shots on target. However, Skybet referred to their terms and conditions to avoid paying out.
10 Football Bets Bookies Refused to Pay – Conclusion
In this article we highlighted 10 of the football bets bookies refused to pay out.
One of the major issues with bookmakers and regulation in the United Kingdom., is that bookmakers are a law unto themselves. Who can decide ultimately have the final say in when a bet gets payed out. If they make a mistake they are happy to let the bet run take winnings from loser and then claim there is an error when a large bet wins.
It is a clear case of them having yet another unfair advantage over the everyday sports bettor!
Related: How To Predict A Draw In Football Game | 3 Match Prediction Tips