A pensioner and long-time customer of Mercury International went home with Le692,000 on Monday, July 6, 2026, after correctly predicting the outcome of 15 football matches on the company’s betting platform. Leslie Prince Mensah-Coker received the cheque in a brief ceremony at Mercury International’s headquarters on Walpole Street, Freetown. The event highlighted the operator’s commitment to timely payments and its commitment to instilling customer confidence.
During the presentation, Beresford Bournes-Coker, Chief Operations Officer of Mercury International, took the opportunity to highlight the company’s promotional structure and financial reliability. The company, he said, was the “Bonus King,” referring to a 100 per cent bonus promotion that doubled the eligible return on Mensah-Coker’s winning ticket. The total stake on the ticket was just Le25 but it was a Le5 first half betting combination that scooped the jackpot to bring in the Le692,000 payout. The rest of the stake Le20 was on the outright match results.
“Through this payout we have proved our financial strength and credibility in the betting industry in Sierra Leone,” Bournes-Coker said. “We are a company that pays on all our obligations, no matter how much is won.” He cited the company’s prompt payment practice against the challenges faced by some operators when they are requested to pay major claims, saying Mercury’s willingness to pay is a major reason why it remains the leading sports betting and lottery company in Sierra Leone.
“Mercury’s success also has wider benefits beyond individual winners,” Bournes-Coker added. He pointed to the company’s contribution to public revenue through taxes and providing young people with job opportunities. “When people see that Mercury pays real winners, more customers will be confident to play. ‘That benefits the company, the government through taxes and the entire industry,’ he said.
Besides celebrating the win, company officials used the occasion to tout initiatives underway to attract and retain customers. Bournes-Coker, encouraged current and potential players to test their luck on the Mercury sites and promoted the company’s ‘Win A House Raffle’ campaign, selling the idea that a home was an attainable investment for the low and high-income earner.
For Mensah-Coker, the windfall was a long overdue payoff. He worked with CARE across England, Canada, Nigeria and Ecuador and is now a pensioner. He said: “The prize is the biggest win in my betting career. His strategy, he said, was to spread his picks across a variety of betting combinations: Le20 on outright results and a smaller Le5 on first-half results — the latter proving to be the crucial one.
“I am very happy. This is my biggest win and it means a lot to me,” Mensah-Coker said smiling as he collected the cheque. He described gambling as a contest in which the customers occasionally beat the house and said luck was with him this time. He said some of the money would go towards helping relatives, especially those who needed help with their education, and stressed the good that a small prize can do for families.
Mensah-Coker has been playing in Mercury’s games for more than a decade and encouraged other players to stick it out. “You’ve got to play to win,” he said, praising the company’s professionalism and efficiency in paying out winners. Mercury International has continued to prove itself as the biggest and most reliable betting company in Sierra Leone. “When you win, they give you your cheque immediately and you can cash your money immediately,” he added, encouraging others to try their luck.
The cheque presentation is a confirmation of Mercury International’s public messaging on trust and transparency in a growing betting market. Company officials say the visible, immediate payouts not only reward customers, but also enhance the operator’s reputation, which in turn drives wider participation and helps to drive broader economic outcomes, including tax revenues and job creation. For Mensah-Coker, the payout is a personal victory and an opportunity to give back to his community a reminder, he said, that taking calculated risks can sometimes yield life-changing results.
