A record-breaking win
Renowned high-stakes sports bettor Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale has won a record-breaking $75m from his bet on the Houston Astros to win the MLB World Series.
staked $10m on his beloved Astros to win the World Series
The furniture store owner has now carved out his place in history by earning the largest official sports betting payout on record. Earlier in the season, he staked a total of $10m in a series of bets on his beloved Astros to win the World Series at average odds of +750. They secured the crown on Saturday night by beating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 to win the Series four games to two.
A windy road to victory
Mack’s bet looked fairly safe most of the way through the playoffs. The Astros swept their first two series against the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees to win the American League pennant. They did fall behind two games to one in the World Series, but took the next three games to clinch it. At no time did they face elimination.
The moment Astros fans will remember forever was when, down 1-0 in the sixth inning of Game 6, Yordan Alvarez belted a 450-foot, three-run homer to center field to give his team the lead for good. They tacked on one more run for good measure before cruising to victory. It even overshadows the combined no-hitter Houston’s pitching staff threw in Game 4, the second no-hitter in World Series history.
This is the franchise’s second World Series title, capping what has been a dominant run the last several years. The team has made the World Series in four out of the last six seasons, winning their first ring in 2017.
It wasn’t all rosy for Mattress Mack as the World Series progressed, despite the results. A video clip went viral of an incident that took place after Game 4 when the series was tied at two wins apiece. Clearly on edge with his bet hanging in the balance, the sports bettor had an expletive-laden argument with a drunk Phillies fan outside Citizens Bank Park.
A high-stakes bettor
Mattress Mack is no stranger to winning mega money through sports betting. He successfully bet on the Kansas Jayhawks to win the NCAA Championship earlier in the year, winning $10.4m in the process. The 71-year-old had placed the biggest-ever mobile wager for this year’s Super Bowl, but he ended up losing his $4.5m stake when the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.
customers who spent at least $3,000 at his store getting free mattresses
His previous bets on the Astros to win the World Series didn’t fare too well. He lost $11.6m in 2019 when the Washington Nationals defeated the Astros in the World Series. He was then unsuccessful with a $3.5m wager last year when the Atlanta Braves managed to overcome the Astros in six games.
The wealthy businessman typically runs a promotion at his furniture store when he places big bets. That’s also the case with his latest Astros bet. Customers who spent at least $3,000 on mattresses during the promotional period will now get refunds as a result of the record-breaking wager coming through.