On Super Bowl Sunday, a query that crossed the minds of numerous individuals was, “If I had a $1 million free bet from DraftKings, what would I wager it on?”
A sports bettor hailing from Michigan had the opportunity to convert a simple question into a staggering $1.5 million triumph.
While others may have opted for a safe bet with low odds, this individual from Michigan chose to take a risk and roll the dice.
How a free bet led to $1.5 million
DraftKings Sportsbook was providing a lucrative offer of $10 million in free bets as part of its Super Bowl Sunday promotions.
Among the free bets were five wagers, each valued at $1 million.
Participating in the giveaway was as easy as signing up and opting in. Users were notified about their winnings and the amount of the free bet before the start of Super Bowl LVI. However, the free bet could only be used during the game.
An anonymous man hailing from Michigan seized the opportunity to utilize his $1 million free bet by placing it on the Los Angeles Rams moneyline. Despite the Rams being the favorites at the start of the game, the fortunate bettor decided to take a calculated risk during the second half when L.A. was trailing the Cincinnati Bengals and had odds of +150.
Winning 23-20 in the fourth quarter, Los Angeles’s comeback resulted in a $1.5 million fortune for this individual from Michigan.
The Twitter account of DraftKings Sportsbook shared a photo of the victorious individual on Monday. DK verified the recipient of the newfound millionaire status through an email and revealed that they hailed from Michigan.
Super Bowl LVI breaks records
According to various sportsbooks, Super Bowl LVI has been reported as the most heavily bet event in their history, despite Michigan not maintaining specific betting figures for individual events.
According to PlayUSA’s projections, it was expected that Michigan would legally place bets amounting to $45 million on the game, contributing to a national handle exceeding $1 billion.
Despite DraftKings’ unfortunate loss of a free $1.5 million wager, sportsbooks in general had a successful evening on Sunday. The majority of bets placed in the state were in favor of the Rams with a -4.5 point spread, and the total points scored exceeding 48.5.
Across the country, the wager on the Bengals moneyline was widely favored, accounting for 62% of all moneyline bets placed at DraftKings.
$500,000 wager at BetMGM
On Sunday night, there were other sportsbooks in Michigan besides DraftKings that accepted a significant bet.
Prior to the start of the game at BetMGM Michigan, a different sports bettor from Michigan placed a bet of $500,000 on the Rams moneyline.
Despite the -200 odds, the bettor managed to secure an additional $250,000 on top of his initial wager.
BetMGM received two $1 million bets across the nation. The first wager was placed on the Rams -0.5 in the opening quarter, offering +105 odds. The second bet was on the Rams -2.5 in the first half, with odds of -120.
