Sports betting comes down to luck, after all.
Sports betting is a great way to make a bit of money from predicting results pre-game, but as William Hill close shave from Euro 2012 shows, sometimes it's the online sportsbooks that are lucky and the punters that miss out.
Poland Helps William Hill
Poland did William Hill Sports a massive favor and punters a huge disservice by grinding out a draw with Russia, as punters would have gone home with a combined £2 million had the visitors come out with the win. Russia was backed in from 7/5 to 23/20 in the lead-up to the game, creating a huge liability for the bookmaker.
"Polish striker Blaszczykowski's strike could not have been any sweeter," Hill's spokesman Joe Crilly said after the game. He pointed out that not only was it a great strike, but it also saved the betting agency a fortune.
Pros and Cons
The moral of all this is that while online betting is a fun and often profitable pursuit, a lot of the results are based on luck and the turn of events. Keep in mind next time you are betting that it is worth setting a limit. Don't bet more than you can afford to lose, and then sit back and enjoy the game and see what happens.
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