Punter wins £40,000 accumulator – then loses £30,000

You have predicted the outcome of 12 football matches, turning £10 into a life-changing £40,000.Dreams of luxury holidays, a year off work, designer clothes and gifts for the children become a reality.But when Steve Richards received this windfall, he had different ideas.The 56-year-old bet £30,000 that Wales would beat Australia in Saturday’s rugby international.But the veteran gambler’s luck soon ran out after Wales lost 30-26 – thanks in part to a disputed Aussie try.The roofing contractor insisted he was still happy with the outcome – and claimed it was only a matter of time until he hit the jackpot.Mr Richards, from Tonyrefail, south Wales, said: ‘It was a bit of bad luck losing the bet but I’m still almost £9,000 better off than I was when I started. I don’t regret putting on the bet because I had fun and felt relatively calm throughout the game.’His wager came after he won 4,000 times his original stake in an against-the-odds accumulator.But alarm bells should have been ringing as he had already seen Cardiff City lose 3-0 to Arsenal before he began listening to the rugby match.Mr Richards sat nervously in a pub for the second half of the game, played at the Millennium Stadium, only to see three-quarters of his winnings go back to the bookies.Australia clinched the game through a Joe Tomane try which came from a possible forward pass.The Welshman said he did not need to win the money in the first place and stressed he only made bets that he could comfortably afford. He added: ‘I’ve come so close to winning big money on a number of occasions and one time I almost won £238,000. But, even if we did get a lot of money, it would just be sat in the bank until we decided what to do with it.‘We wouldn’t even be able to go on holiday as our dog, Suzie, jumps all over me if I go to work. I couldn’t leave her for more than a day.’He added: ‘My partner, Karen, wanted a pair of slippers from John Lewis but we’ll have to leave that now.’ He now plans to focus on his business.(metro.co.uk)ANN.Az