World Cup punter thought he'd won £15,000

A football fan thought he'd won a "life changing amount of money" after betting on the World Cup. But the bookmaker has refused to pay out nearly £15,000 of winnings because it says the £10 bet on three "closely related" events is invalid.

Liam Manifold had already planned how to spend the cash - including buying his disabled dad a new mobility scooter - after tipping Argentina to win the World Cup, Lionel Messi to be named player of the tournament and France to make the final. The punter says he was given combined odds of 1,495 when he placed the bet on November 11, reported Birmingham Live.

However, when Liam went back to the Coral betting shop to claim his winnings the day after the final, he was left empty-handed. Coral has said the prices offered on the events individually "could not be included in a multiple bet" as they were closely related - but Liam thinks the bookie should pay up as his bet was accepted without issue.

The 30-year-old maintenance engineer 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.

"Just under £15,000 for a big betting company is pennies for them but for me it's a life-changing amount of money. My dad's disabled so I was going to buy him a new disability scooter and keep the rest in savings."

Liam has instead been offered a £660 settlement of the bet after being told it shouldn't have been placed. A spokesman for Coral said: "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.

"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.

"So we have settled the bet in the fairest way possible, 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.

"The prices on the slip had been written on by the customer not the member of staff. We have settled the bet in line with our terms and conditions, and we have made a very fair and generous offer for the settlement of the bet that exceeds what would have been the odds of such an eventuality had a customer asked for rush specific treble on November 11."