A question many of us asked ourselves on Super Bowl Sunday was, “What would I bet on with DraftKings $1 million free bet?”
Well, one sports bettor from Michigan faced that very question and turned it into $1.5 million in winnings.
While some may have played it safe with a short-odds wager, this Michigander decided to roll the dice.
How a free bet led to $1.5 million
As part of its Super Bowl Sunday promotions, DraftKings Sportsbook was offering up $10 million in free bets.
Included in those free bets were five, $1 million wagers.
All it took to take part was a simple sign-on and opt-in to the giveaway. Users found out if they won a free bet, and for how much, prior to kickoff of Super Bowl LVI. The free bet had to be used on the game.
One unidentified man from Michigan took his $1 million free bet and used it on the Los Angeles Rams moneyline. While the Rams were favored at kickoff, the winner made a live bet when L.A. was sitting at +150 and trailing in the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals.
When Los Angeles rallied in the fourth quarter to win 23-20, that made this Michigan man $1.5 million richer.
DraftKings Sportsbook posted a picture of the winner Monday on its Twitter account. DK confirmed the new millionaire was from Michigan via email.
Super Bowl LVI breaks records
While Michigan doesn’t keep exact betting numbers for a single event, multiple sportsbooks have told PlayMichigan that Super Bowl LVI was the most bet on event in their history.
PlayUSA was projecting that Michigan would legally wager $45 million on the game, with the national handle over $1 billion.
Though DraftKings lost a free $1.5 million wager, sportsbooks collectively had a great night on Sunday. Most wagers in the state were Rams -4.5 and Over 48.5.
Nationwide, Bengals on the moneyline was a popular bet and that made up 62% of moneyline wagers at DraftKings.
$500,000 wager at BetMGM
DraftKings wasn’t the only sportsbook in Michigan taking on a big wager Sunday night.
Another Michigan sports bettor placed a $500,000 wager on the Rams moneyline prior to kickoff at BetMGM Michigan.
With -200 odds, the bettor was able to win $250,000 on top of his original bet.
Nationally, BetMGM also had a pair of $1 million wagers. One was on the Rams -0.5 in the first quarter with +105 odds. The other was Rams -2.5 in the first half with -120 odds.
