Drake Loses $1.5 Million Bet as Spain Beats Argentina in World Cup Final

How the Bet Died

The rapper had placed the wager done crypto casino Stake astatine +245 odds, sharing the gaffe with his 140 million-plus Instagram followers up of the July 19 final. A triumph wrong regularisation oregon other clip would person returned astir $5.175 million, a nett of astir $3.67 million. Bitcoin.com News covered the wager earlier kickoff, noting Spain entered arsenic the wide favourite connected prediction markets.

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The lucifer delivered the aforesaid scenario, with the European elephantine dominating overmuch of the duel contempt not being capable to interruption done Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez until the crippled turned successful second-half stoppage time, erstwhile Argentina was reduced to 10 men by a reddish card. Ferran Torres past scored the victor conscionable 39 seconds into the 2nd fractional of other time, handing Spain a 1-0 triumph and its 2nd World Cup title.

Onchain Winners and Losers

The last settled tremendous positions crossed crypto prediction markets and Polymarket’s World Cup victor declaration unsocial drew $4.28 billion successful volume (with Spain priced astatine 59 cents per stock earlier the match, meaning traders collectively saw the result coming).

Blockchain analytics steadfast Lookonchain flagged the night’s sharpest contrast. A mysterious whale created a caller wallet 10 hours earlier the last and stake $1.95 cardinal connected Spain astatine 59.1% odds, walking distant with a $1.35 cardinal profit successful conscionable a fewer hours.

On the different side, a gambler known arsenic gud.hl staked $1.23 million connected Argentina erstwhile the likelihood were conscionable 10%, chasing a imaginable $12.35 cardinal payout.

The last capped disconnected a tourney that wholly transformed crypto betting venues, registering a $5.5 billion wagering frenzy heading into the last (with celebrities from Drake to Conor McGregor turning their predictions into nationalist theater).

The Drake Curse Rolls on

For Drake, the nonaccomplishment extends 1 of the astir documented losing streaks successful personage gambling. The rapper has placed 87 tracked nationalist bets since February 2022, wagering $38.72 cardinal and collecting $37.17 cardinal successful returns, a nett nonaccomplishment of $1.56 cardinal astatine a 36.8% triumph rate, with an mean stake of $445,080. Since April 30, 2024, his nationalist bets person bled $5.7 million, including $1.67 cardinal connected shot alone.

The signifier has spawned its ain folklore, being referred to arsenic the “Drake curse,” successful which the teams helium backs look destined to lose. Argentina and Lionel Messi, who rated among the final’s poorest performers, became its latest victims.