Betting on sports is full of emotions: there is the thrill of anticipation when you place a bet, and the excitement when you win. But there are two sides to every coin, and sports betting is as much about winning as it is about losing.
The flip side of all the fun is the nauseating disappointment when your bet falls through. Imagine that feeling when you've bet several million! We take a look at some of the most shocking losses in sports betting history. Read this and weep (and be thankful it wasn't you)! Don't forget to check out free bets without deposit to cheer yourself up later!
Vegas' loss to Dave "Cupcake"
First up is David Oancha, better known as Vegas Dave. This prominent sports betting player is known for bragging on his Instagram account about his big bets and even bigger winnings on long-term bets.
However, he had to eat humble pie in 2016 when he bet $1 million on MMA champion Miesha Tate Miesha Tate at UFC 200. Tate faced Amanda Nunez in a battle for her flyweight belt. Within three minutes and 16 seconds of the first round, Tate was choked by a rear-naked choke, losing the title to Nunez (and losing a million dollars to Vegas Dave).
Oancha seemed to take it calmly and wrote that he was more concerned about Tate's broken nose than the money. I'm not sure we'd be so calm about losing a cool million, but when you have the opportunity to bet, you can definitely lose it.
Michael Jordan plays the expensive hole
The NBA legend is a well-known player. In fact, Jordan's early retirement is said to have been a secret suspension because of his gambling antics .
Unsurprisingly, he was primarily owed $1.2 million ...
In the candid book "Michael and I: Our Gambling Addiction ... My Cry for Help!", betting pal Richard Eskinas described one instance where Jordan lost $1.2 million to a businessman after a 10-day golfing and betting binge. He apparently managed to break even at the expense of the game and managed to bring the amount down to $300,000.
Unsurprisingly, he was primarily owed $1.2 million, even though he is known to have played one hole for $100,000 .
Maybe Michael should take his own advice and make things "fun and interesting". On the other hand, there's nothing boring about losing $1.2 million.
Brit bets his winnings and loses
Stephen Richards is a British roofing contractor who is also an avid sports fan and bettor. In 2013, he enjoyed an amazing express bet that began with a £10 ($13) bet.
After successfully predicting the winners of 12 rugby matches, Richards increased his total to £38,970 (approximately $52,800). Luck clearly turned his head and a week later Stephen decided to place a bet on another rugby match. Not a £10 bet like before, but a whopping $30,000 on Wales to beat Australia.
Had they won, he would have been £55,000 richer, but alas, Australia won 30-26 at the Millennium Stadium in Wales.
His win the week before barely touched his score before it was all gone again. That's got to hurt!
Birdman's double kick
The big player Birdman was not a happy hip-hop star after an impressive Super Bowl betting loss. Twice .
A lifelong fan of the New England Patriots (and well known for his bragging on social media), Birdman said he was willing to invest $5 million in the Pats during Super Bowl XLVI. When one bookmaker called his bluff , suggesting he put his money where his mouth is, Birdman was unusually quiet.
However, he placed a "smaller" bet of $1 million to play against 50 Cent . Unfortunately for Birdman, the New York Giants won the game 21-17, making him slightly less rich and the Fiddies slightly richer.
Birdman didn't seem to have learned his lesson, and when Super Bowl LII came around, he went back to Instagram bragging about his $100,000 bet with Philadelphia rapper AR-Ab . There were follow-up posts that increased the total bet to $200,000, but they mysteriously disappeared.
Once again, Birdman backed his beloved Patriots to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles AR-Ab. The Eagles won 41-33 and Birdman lost again.
Daredevil Matthew Webb
Of course, betting on sports and spectacular losses is not a new phenomenon. It goes back to 1883 by British daredevil and gambler Matthew Webb.
Webb rose to fame as the first man in history to swim across the English Channel. He made his living by betting against the public in various swimming competitions. He once won £400 (a huge sum at the time) by swimming for 74 hours straight.
On 24 July 1883 Webb entered the water and was never seen again. Quite possibly the biggest sports betting loss of all time.
He moved to America in 1881 and had a few successful trials, but money was running out. He decided he had to make a bet. He offered to wager that he could swim across the whirlpool of Niagara Falls. The wager was $10,000, and on July 24, 1883 Webb entered the water and was never seen again. Quite possibly the biggest sports betting loss of all time.
Losers, weepers
For most of these guys, losing a million isn't such a big deal, but it would make any casual punter cry! We'd like to say we've never felt the pain of losing a sports bet, but we'd be lying. It happens to the best of us.