Fred Done has something of a reputation for getting early payouts wrong, and this one was no exception.
In fact, it could be seen as the kiss of death, because the Bengals lost the very next game they played after the early payout had been announced.
Nevertheless, after thoroughly spanking the Buffalo Bills 27-10 on their own turf, Betfred decided they were on the road to victory, and paid out all bets on the Bengals to win the Pro Football Championship.
You probably know it better as the NFL or the Superbowl; they aren’t exactly the same thing but are often used interchangeably.
The promotion was aimed at US bettors, who aren’t used to this sort of thing and were stunned to find out their good fortune, but it applied to bets made globally, so even UK customers felt the benefit.
Fred told you yesterday from the Las Vegas HQ that he was going to drop some BIG NEWS today!
We’re so confident at Betfred in the #Bengals winning the #SBLVII that we’ve decided to PAY OUT ALL BETS on Cincinnati @Bengals to win the #BigGame before the #AFCChampionship is played! pic.twitter.com/S5bkul9WhD
— Betfred Sportsbook (@BetfredSports) January 25, 2023
What’s more, for anyone who missed out on the big payout, a new price of +300 was offered on the Bengals to win which, despite being a losing bet in hindsight, was probably the best value bet on the planet at the time.
The Bengals weren’t the favourites so it was a pretty ballsy move from Betfred all round, but as always, it was about much more than simply getting the call right or wrong.
Bengals lose to Kansas City Chiefs
It was the eventual winners of the competition who knocked out the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game a few days later.
It was close at the end though, with the final score being 23-20 and those last 3 points being scored just seconds before the end of the fourth quarter. It was a 45 yard field goal from Harrison Butker that sealed the deal.
The Bengals never managed to get ahead at any point, so despite catching up towards the end, it was always looking like the Chief’s game.
Fred Done was still happy though, since his company were expanding in the US at the time and he needed to grab the American punter’s attention given how fierce the competition is over there.
The Chief Operating Officer of Betfred USA Sports, Bryan Bennett, said:
“We’ve had a special relationship with Bengals fans all season. After the team’s huge win on the road in Buffalo the week before we thought they were the best team in the league. However, we were wrong but I’m still delighted we made this goodwill gesture to the Bengals fans.”
There was no information on how much the stunt cost Betfred, but it’s safe to say that they made a lot of Cincinnati backers very happy!