Poor guy!
Although gambling is always dangerous, there have been a few instances where someone has had the chance to win a ridiculous sum of money on a very speculative wager.
This football fan cashed out a little bit too soon, but he was on the verge of winning enough money to live worry-free for the next ten or so years.
Ethan Conway, a 24-year-old Welshman, has experienced the worst nightmare of a gambler.
If the Liverpool supporter had only stayed true to his beliefs, he might have earned £800,000, but his early cash out lost him a lot.
On Sunday, May 19, 2023, the last day of the Premier League season 2023–24, Ethan bet £219 on three games.
Manchester City survived a scare in the first half when West Ham cut the Sky Blues' two-goal advantage on the stroke of half-time to win a record-breaking fourth title in a thrilling final day.
Second-placed Arsenal went down to Everton, eventually coming back to win 2-1, but it didn't matter, as City's win put them two points clear at the top come the final whistle.
However, he chose to back teams that were a little bit lower in the standings rather than wager on either of these games.
The scaffolder bet that Brighton would beat Manchester United 0–2, Liverpool would defeat Wolves 2-0, and Sheffield United would defeat Tottenham Hotspur 0–3.
If you follow the Premier League closely, you'll notice that, miraculously, all of these scores are accurate.
However, Ethan didn't have the nerve to hold on till the final whistle, as he cashed out after Manchester United scored their first of the game through Diogo Dalot in the 73rd minute, with the other two games already at the predicted scores.
After that, striker Rasmus Højlund scored his second goal of the match after coming off the bench. Using his weaker right foot, he produced a stunning goal that put United ahead 2-0.
This meant that, in retrospect, Ethan would only receive £5,130 of the possible £800,000 prize—a mistake.
You can't really blame him, though, given the way Manchester United has played this season, their flimsy defense, and their unpredictable nature in the last moments of games.
The Welshman thought he was having a great day after cashing out with 15 minutes to go, but discovered later that he would have won a jaw-dropping £814,000 on the 3717/1 bet if he just saw it through.
He later said: "I was just tamping [Welsh word for furious] really - just heartbroken - disbelief if anything.
"I was looking at new cars, new houses, but obviously it's a different story now. My family and friends were in disbelief as well.
'But obviously they're happy that I won the five grand," he explained.
In the grand scheme of things, this is the first time he has won more than £5,000, despite the fact that he is known for betting most weekends.
Subsequently, he stated that he wants to save more money and that there is "no chance" he will be betting on any games in the near future.
"I've come out of it now. I've just won that and run.
'I'll have to get over this one first. It's just the 50/50 chance of it - you either cash out or you don't. I'm just gutted really," Ethan concluded.
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