Weekend Review: Bookies look to World Cup after record Champions League losses
Several operators suffered six-figure losses from Real Madrid’s 3-1 UCL final win over Liverpool
The 2018 Champions League final will be remembered forever after Gareth Bale’s spectacular bicycle-kick goal and two glaring mistakes from Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius, but the result was one the bookies will be keen to forget.
⚽? @GarethBale11, una chilena para la historia…#CHAMP13NS | #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/AUETjmWwMh
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) May 27, 2018
Kindred Group’s Ali Gill said: “The highly anticipated Champions League final did not disappoint, unless you are a Liverpool fan.
“Kindred were Liverpool fans for the night as the 3-1 Madrid win ended as our second biggest ever event, but also as our biggest ever losing result, leaving us cursing Loris Karius as much as the next Liverpool fan after the goalkeeper’s night to forget.
“Unsurprisingly, having made history by winning the Cup three times in a row, Madrid were heavily backed at the start of the season to win and the outright market ended in the red for us as well.”
It was a similar story for bet365, where Steve Freeth said the firm lost several million on the final.
“It was all going so well in the Champions League, but then the goals happened, with both teams scoring and the favourite winning,” he said.
BetVictor fared slightly better due to the fact there was only one yellow card in the match despite Sergio Ramos being a master of the dark arts.
It was a very tough night, but I'm a fighter. Despite the odds, I'm confident that I'll be in Russia to make you all proud. Your love and support will give me the strength I need. pic.twitter.com/HTfKF4S70e
— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) May 27, 2018
The firm’s Charlie McCann told EGR: “The Champions League was a small loser as Real Madrid were well backed – We took a hit on overs and both teams scoring but the #PriceItUp punters needed goals for Salah and Ronaldo and only one yellow card was a great result for the layers.”
William Hill’s Rupert Adams described the final as a disappointment: “We were desperate for a 90 minutes draw but it was not to be and we handed a seven figure sum to punters.
“Liverpool were a loser for us in Ireland, London and Liverpool, but in just about every other city and country, Real were the number one choice,” he added.
Betdaq saw £3m wagered on the Champions League finale and MD Shane McLaughlin said one punter matched £7k on Madrid to lift the trophy at odds of 1.71.
The Championship play-off final also took place this weekend as Fulham secured their return to the Premier League with a 1-0 Wembley win over Aston Villa.
Gill said: “Favourites Fulham reached the promised lands which left us behind the punters, a double hit for us as Unibet-sponsored Aston Villa failed at the final hurdle.”
Away from football, BetVictor’s McCann said Justin Rose’s PGA tour success was a small winner, as was Francesco Molinari’s at Wentworth.
One Sportsbet.io punter managed to cash-out a 10-fold tennis accumulator for 10 Bitcoin, or €65,000, after the first nine selections came in.
“The two golf tournaments were not great and the Monaco GP was second rate – all in all it was a brilliant bank holiday for the punters, so bring on the World Cup,” said Hill’s Adams.