Bettor on BetMGM Narrowly Missed Out on $2.5 Million Win During Portugal-Czechia Match
A UK resident, participating in BetMGM's free-to-play Golden Goals game, was mere moments and a couple of inches away from claiming a £2 million (approximately $2.5 million) prize during the Euro 2014 soccer championships.
Leading up to the Portugal vs. Czech Republic (Czechia) match at the Leipzig Stadium in Germany, BetMGM announced that this London-based player had correctly predicted five out of six Euro games: Spain 3 – Croatia 0, Italy 2 – Albania 1, Poland – 1 Netherlands 2, Serbia 0 – England 1, and Austria 0 – France 1.
If Portugal managed to eke out a 3-1 victory against the Czech Republic, similar to their past encounter in the same competition in 2008, this unnamed player would have become the first victor of BetMGM’s Golden Goals promotion. The promotion was initially introduced during the 2023/34 EPL season but, prior to the Euros, had yet to produce a winner.
Bets in Doubt
Despite Portugal being one of the favored teams to win the tournament, they initially failed to capitalize on a dominant first half in Leipzig.
The initial 11/1 odds offered by BetMGM for a 3-1 Portugal win at the game's start would have significantly dropped by half time. This was due to Czech keeper Jindřich Staněk making multiple saves from Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes, as well as Portuguese winger Rafael Leão coming close.
Lukáš Provod’s 63rd-minute goal—one of the team's rare attempts on goal—sent shockwaves through Portugal, but it at least kept the bet alive, albeit with a precarious lead. Essentially, Portugal had 30 minutes to score three goals.
The odds eventually tightened a bit more when Czech defender Robin Hranac inadvertently scored an own goal following a cruel deflection off a Leão header.
With minutes remaining, it seemed that Diego Jota had significantly narrowed the odds when he scored swiftly after a Ronaldo header bounced off the post.
However, a VAR replay showed Ronaldo's elbow had been offside by a minuscule margin.
Heart-Pounding Climax
Portugal snatched a winner in the 92nd minute through substitute Francisco Conceição, resulting in a heart-pounding final two minutes for the BetMGM customer.
In the end, the player missed out. Yet, she still received a £5,000 prize for her initial five predictions, with no requirement for any investment whatsoever. Whether this £5,000 win feels more like a triumph or a huge missed opportunity remains undecided by the player.
Currently, Portugal is positioned fourth in the tournament's favorites, sitting at 6-1 odds, after England (4-1), France (4-1), and home team Germany (5-1).
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