Mercury International Pays Out Le8 Million to 5,000 Winners

Mercury International, Sierra Leone’s largest sports and lotto betting company, on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, paid out over Le8 million (Le8 billion old Leones) to more than 5,000 winners at its main payout centre in Walpole Street, Freetown.

It is the company’s biggest offline football betting payout of 2026 under its Mega Long List fixtures.

Biggest Mega Long List Payout in 2026

Image: Punters at Mercury International Payout Office

 According to Noel Horton of Mercury International’s operations department, this is the largest payout for a single fixture this year. The Mega Long List ran from Thursday, 5 February 2026, to Monday, 10 February 2026.

Horton explained that non-taxed winning tickets were cashed out through Mercury agents nationwide, while hundreds of punters with taxed tickets received their winnings at the Walpole Street branch.

Smith Cole Emerges as Top Winner

Image: Smith Cole Receiving His Winning Cash From a Mercury Staff

The biggest winner was Smith Cole, a manual factory labourer at the National Confectionery Company (NATCO) in Wellington, Freetown.

Cole, in his early 30s, staked Le10 on 15 football teams and won Le118,000 before tax.

“As a factory worker who does hard labour, I feel very good winning this money,” Cole said. “It makes me very happy. It will change my life and take me a long way.”

Encouraging Fellow Punters

Cole encouraged fellow punters not to give up on betting with Mercury International, saying he believes everyone’s winning moment will come.

“Just like me, others are capable of winning even more,” he said.

Cole has been betting with Mercury for the past 15 years, and this is the highest amount he has won so far. His first win came five years ago, when he won Le15,000. 

“I will continue playing because I want to win more. I want to win big, and I believe I will if I keep playing,” he added.

About Mercury International

Mercury International is Sierra Leone’s largest betting company and one of the oldest in the Mano River region. Established in 2006, the company has paid out trillions of leones to millions of customers since its inception.