Over the past couple ofyears, Houston Astros superfan Jim McIngvale, A.K.A ‘Mattress Mack’ has become one of the most beloved and controversial figures around Major League Baseball, mostly because of his passion for sports betting.
The business owner has had plenty of success on the sportsbook over the past five years or so, even cashing in on a huge bet after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs in last year’s Super Bowl.
This season, however, didn’t come to the best end for the furniture mogul. The Atlanta Braves beat his beloved Astros in the World Series, meaning that he won’t be able to cash out on a $35+ million payout.
Mattress Mack Losses Millions In World Series Bets
“I bet $2 million with William Hill, which is now Caesars to win $20 million. I bet one million with fan duel to win $10 million, and I bet with Score and Draft Kings $350,000 to win like $5 million at 16 to 1,” Mack told the media, as quoted by Click 2 Houston.
“My wife says I have a gambling problem. I don’t have a gambling problem, I have a promotional problem,” he added. “I’m betting to hedge the promotion and to enable these customers to get these free mattresses. I’m not gambling to just gamble.”
He Still Cashed In A Big Bag
But even despite the loss, Mattress Mack still made plenty of cash. At the end of the day, these kinds of things also work as a publicity stunt, and his business was booming throughout the playoffs:
via Darren Rovell
“For everyone getting ready to call Mattress Mack a loser: The truth is he wins plenty with the Braves,” reported Darren Rovell of Action Network. “Lost $3.25 million insurance bet, but motivated people to buy $25 million worth of mattresses. Based on 40-60% margin, he probably nets between $6M to $8M after all costs.”
Maybe next year, Mack!
