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Dead gambler aims for charity £340k windfall

Tuesday 9th March 2010

By Mike Jones

A gambler who placed a series of long-range bets before he died could win £340,000 for charity.

Nick Newlife staked a series of tennis and cricket bets between 2000 and 2005.

When he died last year Newlife left everything - including proceeds from the outstanding bets - to Oxfam in his will.

One bet - £250 on Roger Federer to win at least 14 Grand Slam tennis titles before 2020 at 66/1 - has already won £16,750.

Other outstanding bets that could still pay out are:

* £1520 on Roger Federer to win Wimbledon Men's Singles at least seven times before 2020 at 66/1 - potential payout £101,840
* £1000 on Andy Roddick to win at least seven Grand Slam singles titles before 2020 at 33/1 - potential payout £34,000
* £750 on Roddick to win at least ten Grand Slam singles titles before 2020 at 100/1 - potential payout £75,075
* £350 on cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan to make more than 7000 Test Match runs by the end of 2019 at 50/1 - potential payout £17,850
* £300 on Sarwan to make more than 8000 Test match runs by end of 2019 at 100/1 - potential payout £30,300
* £250 on Sarwan to make more than 9000 Test match runs by the end of 2019 at 250/1 - potential payout £62,750.

Sarwan has already scored 5759 Test runs.

Cathy Ferrier, Fundraising and Supporter Marketing Director at Oxfam, said: "We’re enormously grateful to Mr Newlife for his generous gift, and will be keeping a close eye on Wimbledon this year as a result.

"Legacies amount to 10% of our total income from individuals, so they’re essential to us, and as this case proves they can come in all shapes and sizes. It is very easy to make a will and including Oxfam could leave a lasting legacy for those most in need.

"Every time someone leaves us a gift in their will, whether that’s a few pounds or a few thousands pounds, it helps us make a huge difference to thousands of lives around the world. For example, £500 could provide twenty basics latrines, such as those sent by Oxfam after the Haiti earthquake, and £3700 could equip an entire special needs school with teaching and learning aids."

Graham Sharpe, Media Relations Director at William Hill, said: "Mr Newlife was clearly a very shrewd sporting gambler whose early identification of potential superstars won tens of thousands of pounds for himself while he was still alive - but to ensure that a respected charity would benefit from any bets which came to fruition after his death makes him unprecedented in my thirty year experience of the betting industry. Roger Federer is already 6-4 hot favourite to win this summer’s Wimbledon and I fully expect to be handing over a six figure cheque to Oxfam when he does so."

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