The Super Bowl Streaker That Almost Won Big

What would you do with a $375,000 sports bet payout?

Pay down your mortgage? Or maybe splurge on a luxury car? Heck, save every last penny? Any one of those answers would do. However, there is one completely wrong answer to that question — tell the world about your coup.

Yuri Andrade learned that the hard way recently. You might've heard of his story, but not in the detail we're about to go over. Here is what went down and the ramifications of it all:

The Rise & Fall Of One Bettor

Andrade is the "streaker" (he was semi-clothed) that invaded the Super Bowl mid-game between the Chiefs and Buccaneers. The NFL title game has a streaker almost annually, but what sets Andrade apart is he had a $375,000 incentive to run onto the field.  

You guessed it, Andrade took a prop wager on whether the game would or would not have a streaker from Bovada. Of course, he bet $50,000 that there would be, an outcome that Bovada had pegged at staggering +750 odds. So in theory, Andrade bet on himself and won.

Until Andrade opened his big mouth that is. 

Almost $400k richer, the 31-year-old Andrade from Boca Raton, Florida, apparently told anyone that would listen that his "act of courage" was, in fact, motivated by the bet. Word soon spread about Andrade's ulterior motives, from social media all the way to the online bookie he made the bet on, Bovada. 

Here's where Andrade problems begin, though: such a bet is against Bovada's own rules. Not because he took control of it and made it happen, but because of the amount wagered.

You see, Bovada and most online bookmakers set limits on wagers, especially longshot props such as these. At Bovada, the max bet on this Super Bowl streaker prop (and similar ones) is a meager $1000. Andrade skirted around the rules by having his friends make individual bets on his behalf, a clear violation of Bovada's policy.

Bovada's Reaction

So did Bovada end up honoring the bet? Well, yes and no — all depending on who made the wager. 

For Andrade and his rag-tag of buddies, the answer is a definitive no. The problem for Bovada, however, is identifying which accounts were part of Andrade's scheme. Bovada's investigation is ongoing, but one has to think they're questioning every bettor who maxed out the wager. 

For the prop bettors not associated with Andrade, Bovada followed on their word and then some. Those who bet yes on the prop received their payment at the full +750 value. Those that gambled no were actually saved by Andrade's actions as Bovada decided to refund their ticket fully. So it's a win-win proposition for everyone besides Andrade. 

Honestly, Bovada handled the situation to perfection. It could've used Andrade as a scapegoat and just voided all bets entirely. Instead, it decided to take the financial hit and appease bettors. Believe us, not all online bookmakers would've used made the same choice as Bovada.

The Possible Future Fallout

Andrade will be left feeling this hit for a while. For one, he literally was hit while tackled by on-field security. Two, he's $50,000 in the hole (a $425,000 swing from his possible payout), plus another $500, which was used to post bail from jail (he'll carry a misdemeanor for trespassing for years to come). 

For the rest of us, we could possibly be feeling this hit, too. Think about it, do sportsbooks really want to risk offering a prop bet like this ever again? 

Super Bowl props like the color of the Gatorade bath can't be affected by the everyday bettor, but something like this can. Any "average joe" can do as Andrade did, albeit in secret to actually keep the winnings this time around. 

That's a low-reward, high-risk gamble on the sportsbooks part. Think about it, they're already getting a massive bet handle from the Super Bowl. A random prop like Super Bowl streaker won't hurt their profits and in fact, has a much higher chance of hurting their bottom line. If this prop becomes non-existent during Super Bowl LVI in 2022, we'll have Andrade to blame and no one else. 

And that, folks, is one of the most infamous Super Bowl betting stories of all time — one that might not be topped soon. Or will it?

If you want to take betting into your own hands like Andrade, perhaps you'll want to explore the prop wager selection at one of the below bookmakers. If you find a prop bet that you can "influence", well, then be our guest and wager on yourself!

This list of sportsbooks is similar to Bovada reputation-wise. They're player-friendly, offer a ton of betting options, have promos available to earn free money, and so much more. Explore the betting sites deeper in the table underneath. 

If you do follow through on "betting on yourself" per se, just learn from Andrade's miscue and don't brag about "gaming" the system. Ever! 

Category : News

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