Myanmar punter in UK wins record $1m


A Myanmar businessman has scooped one of the biggest wins in football betting history - after laying bets with a British bookmaker for the first time.

The 34-year-old man, who has not been named, won £332,625 ($1m) from William Hill after placing a string of bets on Greece during Euro 2002, reported PA.

He thought that the team's strong defence during its opening match against Portugal would power it to overall victory, and backed it in every match.

He placed an initial £4,000 on Greece against hot favourite England on Jun 23, when the odds were 50/1.

Over the next 10 days, he placed a series of bets at the William Hill branch in Woking, Surrey, staking a total of £24,500.

As Greece powered through the tournament, beating defending champions France and the highly-favoured Czech Republic, he placed another bet on Greece to win the tournament on Jun 28, when the odds were down to 10/1, and five times over the weekend when they were 9/4.
After Greece's 1-0 victory over Portugal yesterday, the man 'barely slept a wink', said William Hill spokesman Mr Graham Sharpe.

He described the man's win as 'possibly the biggest bet we've ever seen concentrating on one team'.

He said it was among the highest three pay-outs the company had ever made over a football wager.

Yet, staff at the Woking outlet did not recognise the man, he said.

First time seeing him: 'This is the first time he's ever been in our shop, it's the first we've ever seen him,' Mr Sharpe said.

He said the man 'sussed what a lot of people hadn't - that an outsider could win the tournament'.

'People just didn't, for some reason, believe the evidence of their own eyes,' he said.

Not that he's complaining - William Hill made a record £300 million from the tournament.

Mr Sharpe said the Myanmar man was now considering taking a holiday - possibly to Greece.