These are mere coincidences. If the bet had gotten lost, then your friend might've started to search the insane man to scold. As a result of coincidence, there is a big win. If not, the blame will be upon the insane man. This isn't just with gambling alone. It happens in all means. I personally had a similar experience with my friend, but the same isn't associated with gambling but a real-life experience.

One day I and my friend went for a drive. We went to a church, and though my friend is a Muslim, he came along with me and prayed. While leaving, I left a few pennies in the offering box. We went close to the motorbike to return home. By the time an unknown person came to him and gave him a few pennies and requested to put it in the offering box. He just went and put the money in the offering box. He just took that incident as some sort of positive vibe. In my understanding, it is all about how we take the incident and connect with our life.