Ladbrokes and the Biggest Novelty Bets in History
In 2000, Ladbrokes would wind up paying on what turned out to be the biggest novelty bet of all time when they gave the man £194,400. In 1964, David Threlfall contacted British wagering company William Hill and placed the following bet:
He was taking the promise of President Kennedy to place a man on the moon by the end of the decade. William Hill gave him 1000 to 1 odds. He bet £10 and after Apollo 11 landed on the moon, they issued a check for £10,000.
Notorious for his strange bets, Thomas “Amarillo Slim” Preston, challenged 1939 Wimbledon champ and noted “Battle of the Sexes” participant Bobby Riggs to a game of ping pong. The bet was for $10,000, Slim would supply the paddles, and Riggs would get to choose which paddles to use. Slim chose 2 iron skillets as the paddles. He had been practicing with them for months. He won 21 to 8.