Bookies refuse to payout on World Cup winning bet after punter 'wins' £15,000

One punter has been left out of pocket by a major bookie, after being refused a £15,000 pay out for his World Cup bet that came in.

It might be over two weeks since Argentina won the World Cup but the effects are being felt by many people, especially those in Argentina who are naming their babies 'Lionel.'

The man they're naming those kids after, Messi just in case you hadn't worked it out, is now back in work, having arrived back at PSG training on Wednesday.

But the final, and Messi's joy of winning the tournament and the Golden Ball, for best player, hasn't been as good for one gambler, despite placing a bet on it all.

Liam Manifold, from Tutbury, Staffordshire, placed a £10 bet in Coral on Argentina and France to meet in the final, for the South Americans to win the final and for Messi to win the award as best player.

The 30-year-old placed the accumulator before the tournament started, on November 11th, and was given odds of 1,495/1 for the trio to come in.

He believed he would be going back to collect £15,000 but instead he was offered £660 because the bets were too closely related to each other.

"I went to cash in the bet and they said it shouldn't have been placed and offered me £660 for it," Liam said, "I've gone through their complaints system, there's no leeway.

"I've gone to an independent complaints committee and I'm waiting to hear back from them. I've since had different companies contact me saying if that was their company, they'd pay out.

"When I placed the bet the guy behind the counter said it was absolutely fine. They're now saying it's a related bet.

"It's now two weeks after the final and I don't seem to be getting anywhere. If there's an error it's their fault for accepting the bet. It's very frustrating."

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Liam wrote the odds on the slip himself, based on what the bookies were offering for each event to happen separately from each other.

Coral say that even the £660 compensation they've offered is more than they'd have offered for the accumulator back in November.

"These three events are all closely related to each other so the prices that were offered on them individually can't be included in a multiple bet," a Coral spokesperson said.

"If Argentina and France have made the final, then the odds of Argentina winning it are clearly much shorter than they were at the outset. If Argentina have then won the World Cup, the chances of Messi being player of the tournament will be long odds-on.

"Paying out on the event with the biggest price, an Argentina v France final, at 22/1, and then on the basis that that had happened, we applied the price of Argentina winning the final which was 10/11 before the game, and then on the basis that Argentina had won the cup, we applied an over generous price on Messi to be player of the tournament at 1/2, as the odds on that happening should Argentina have won the World Cup would have been much shorter."

Messi kisses the World Cup trophy. Image: Alamy

There was far more success for a punter who backed Michael Smith to be crowned the PDC World Darts champion, after Tuesday's final.

He'd back Smith to win both the Grand Slam of Darts in 2022 and this year's world title, despite the fact that 'Bully Boy' had never won one of darts major titles previously.

Ahead of the final with Michael van Gerwen, the punter wondered if he should cash in but he won £10,000 by keeping the faith, helped by Smith's incredible nine darter.