Here’s the $5 DraftKings Bet That Won One NFL Fan Nearly $500,000
NFL superfan Travis Dufner had a merrier Christmas than most after a $5 DraftKings parlay bet earned him nearly $500,000. DraftKings and B/R Betting reported the victory on their social media channels. The New Jersey financial planner made a 14-pick parlay which predicted every player who would score a touchdown. He came into Monday Night Football just needing a touchdown from 49er Christian McCaffrey after his other 13 picks had come through.
A parlay bet is when a bettor ties two or more bets together on a single ticket to create a larger bet. All of the predictions must come through for the bet to be paid out. If just one of Dufner’s choices hadn’t made a touchdown, he wouldn’t have won a thing. DraftKings doesn’t allow bettors to cash out amidst touchdown parlays, so Dufner was forced to let his bet ride.
The soon-to-be winner recorded videos of himself waiting for McCaffrey to score on Christmas night, aware the evening could bring a major reward but hardly expecting such a windfall. Before kickoff, he posted videos to his private Instagram feed reflecting on the rollercoaster ride. “I've put plenty of these parlays down before,' he explained. “I've hit a few small ones, but obviously nothing like this.”
Thankfully, McCaffrey made his fateful touchdown in the second quarter, so Dufner could relax and enjoy the rest of the game. His bet paid out at miraculous odds of nearly 1,000-to-one.
Though Dufner’s mother immediately texted him in the wake of his win, telling him to “start making your Christmas list,” the winner told DraftKings he’s not in a rush to spend his money. “Not gonna go crazy. Probably gonna pay off student loans and car payments, and invest the rest in my family’s future,” Dufner said of his financial planning.
But there is one treat he’s hoping to allow himself. “I’d love to get a Rolex,” he admitted, “so that might be in the cards.”
