This Guy Wins When Contestants Miss a Half-Court Shot Jackpot
Behind million-dollar giveaways and field-goal jackpots is Bob Hamman, who underwrites the unlikely and is betting you lose.
Bob Hamman
Photographer: Ben Sklar for Bloomberg BusinessweekThis article is for subscribers only.
Bob Hamman bought a few truckloads of furniture this year he didn’t want or need. “It cost me about $1.5 million,” he says with a sheepish grin. “I try to forget those details.”
Hamman was on the hook for all those ottomans and recliners because Ohio State upset Oregon in January’s NCAA football championship. His company, SCA Promotions, underwrote a contest staged by an Ohio furniture chain promising free goods if the Buckeyes won. Hamman bet they wouldn’t.