When 21-year-old Jacob Allmendinger drained his house deposit savings to take his 80-year-old grandfather Geoff Golliker to the World Cup, he wasn’t expecting anything back except memories. What he got instead was a second chance at a down payment—courtesy of a crypto casino bet he didn’t think would stick.
The Hull native and his grandfather have been regulars at matches together since Allmendinger was small. So when the World Cup landed in the USA and Mexico this summer, he made the call: house fund be damned, this was the trip that mattered. They caught England’s matches in New York and Atlanta against Panama and DR Congo before heading to Mexico City for that unforgettable 3-2 win at the Azteca Stadium.
But here’s where it gets weird. A US-based crypto casino called Metawin spotted their story going viral on social media and made them an offer: they’d cover the $13,000 if England beat Panama by more than two goals. Allmendinger was skeptical—rightfully so. An unsolicited promise from a crypto operation isn’t exactly the kind of thing you bank on, literally or figuratively. England won 2-0. Not enough. Then Metawin upped the ante, saying they’d pay £10,000 if England won against DR Congo by any score. Allmendinger still didn’t believe it.
Then he checked his bank account and the money was there.
“I was just in shock,”Allmendinger told the BBC. Now England’s chasing the quarter finals against Norway, and whatever happens next on the pitch, the trip’s already delivered the goods. Allmendinger’s planning to stash the windfall in savings for now, which means that house deposit dream he postponed for his grandfather might actually be back on the table. More importantly, his story has resonated with people who’ve lost their own grandparents and wish they’d seized similar moments. Sometimes the best gamble isn’t the one you plan.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
