Swedish Santa wins $13,000 from gift

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VILHELMINA, Sweden, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- A Swedish Santa Claus said he won $13,060 from a betting slip given to him by a man at one of the homes he visited.

Matts Dahlberg, 26, of Vilhelmina said he was making his rounds at local homes for the 10th consecutive year on Christmas when a man at one residence who runs a local betting shop offered him a tenth of the potential winnings from a soccer bet arranged by his brother, The Local reported Monday.

The bet concerned the outcomes of 13 soccer matches and Dahlberg was told by the man the following day that 12 of the 13 matches had come out in his favor with only a match between British teams Arsenal and Wolverhampton left to go.

"Of course I watched the game on TV. Exciting? Well, that's to say the least," Dahlberg said.

The game ended in a tie, which was the outcome required by the bet.

Dahlberg said he plans to use the windfall to visit friends in Canada and spruce up his Santa costume.

"The old one is getting a bit worn down so that could be a good investment for next Christmas," he said.