Super Bowl Streaker Can’t Collect $375,000 ‘Winnings’ After He Bet on Himself

Posted on: February 12, 2021, 06:54h. 

Last updated on: February 12, 2021, 10:49h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.

The Super Bowl streaker who gatecrashed Sunday’s game in a lurid pink mankini will not be cashing out six figures anytime soon, as he had hoped.

Super Bowl streaker
Super Bowl streaker Yuri Andrade runs across the Super Bowl field during the big game last weekend.  He later described the experience as “the best moment of my life.” (Image: Getty)

Yuri Andrade, 31, of Florida, briefly caused a stir by taking to the field with 5:03 left in the fourth quarter, with the Buccaneers leading the Chiefs 31-9. The professional extrovert dodged a couple of tackles from security before sliding at the three-yard line as guards piled on top of him.

Pull up your pants, take off the bra and BE A MAN!” demanded play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan, who was covering the game for Westwood One radio.

As he basked in his 15 minutes, Andrade boasted in interviews that he would make $375,000 from the stunt because he had placed $50,000 on someone streaking onto the field during the game at odds of +750.

He explained that offshore sportsbook Bovada had put a $1,000 cap on stakes for the prop bet. But he had called around inviting friends to put money on for a share of the spoils.

Should Have Kept Quiet

In response, Bovada said it had frozen payouts on the bet pending an investigation. Once complete, all bets on the occurrence of a Super Bowl streaker that were found not to be linked to Andrade would be paid, as would any bets against that eventuality.

“Our players have always trusted us to ensure the integrity of all props offered in our sportsbook,” Bovada said in a statement. “We will continue to make sure that any publicity stunts or ill-intended behavior cannot adversely affect the outcome of a player’s wager.”

Hopefully, this news does not pour too much cold water on Andrade’s Super Bowl experience, which he called the “best moment of my life.”

Sportsbetting Manipulation and Legality 

Andrade was arrested for misdemeanor trespassing for his field invasion and released on a $500 bond. But his sportsbook antics may well have broken other laws, because he was essentially manipulating a betting event. In this respect, while his actions had no bearing on the result of the game, they fall into a category similar to match-fixing.

Bovada is an offshore sportsbook unregulated in the US. In fact, Andrade could not have placed his particular bet in any regulated US sportsbook. That’s because they are prohibited from offering propositions that can be easily manipulated by individuals. US regulators see this as crucial to guard against betting fraud and protect sporting integrity.

New Jersey’s recent decision to allow betting on the Oscars was controversial because the results are known to a small group of people before the event. This at least creates the possibility of insider manipulation.

In a jurisdiction like the UK, where such proposition bets are legal, sportsbooks will cap stakes, as Bovada did, and monitor the markets for suspicious betting patterns. Proposition markets are routinely suspended when suspicious bets are flagged up.

Even so, sportsbooks are discouraged from offering bets that are relatively easy for individuals to manipulate, and regulators can fine them for doing so.

UK regulators have also asked operators not to offer bets on the likelihood of a streaker disrupting events. That’s because they could be seen to be inciting people to engage in the practice.