Wednesday, Oct. 30
Darren Rovell is spending the run-up to Game 7 of the World Series with Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, who has wagered at least $11.6 million on the Astros to win the World Series as a means of hedging a promotion running at his furniture stores that carries north of $20 million in liabilities. In the morning, he decided to fly to Mississippi to place more bets. We'll put the most recent entries at the top.
5:48 p.m. ET: We're back from Mississippi and have arrived at the park for tonight's game. Mack is hosting 30 kids with cancer and their parents tonight for Game 7. He did the same for World Series Game 1, buying tickets for 110 veterans. There's obviously been a lot of focus on his betting, but his philanthropy is what makes him a local legend.
3:32 p.m. ET: VSiN's Paul Howard reports that Mack bet another $336,000 on the Astros in Las Vegas via his advisers, professional sports bettors Anthony Curtis and Frank Betti.
I was with McIngvale when word got out of those wagers, and he said simply, "My guys told me they were gonna make some bets."
The $336K was spread between two books — Circa Sportsbook took $270,000 of it and the Rio took the remaining $66,000. The Circa wager was at -135 odds, meaning it would profit an even $200,000. We're unsure on the odds for the other wager, but it's in the same vicinity, which would equate to a ~$50,000 profit on the $66K investment.
Here's a rundown, based on what we've been able to confirm, with the bets Mack has riding on the Astros to win the World Series:
1:57 p.m. ET: Mack accidentally wired $700,000 to the Scarlet Pearl Casino. The book agreed to take "only" a $675,000 bet, so they gave him back $25,000 in cash (pictured above). But being the convincing Texan that he is, Mack was able to get the book to accept the full $700,000 bet at -135 odds, meaning he'd profit $518,518 if Houston wins tonight.
That brings his tally to the following (among the bets we've been able to confirm). The DraftKings Sportsbook in the Scarlet Pearl Casino has now taken $6.2 million of the $11.625 million in bets accounted for below.
1:36 p.m. ET: Believe it or not, it's not always easy to get sportsbooks to take six- to seven-figure bets — and as we approach the Scarlet Pearl Casino, Mack is expressing some frustration.
“MGM won’t take my bet and they are the official betting partner of the league. For Game 7 of the World Series. I thought that was the most important baseball game of the year.”
“Caesars originally said they would take $1 million. Then they called back and said $50,000.”
Talking to the CFO at Scarlet Pearl: "OK, I wired money to the Beau Rivage [Casino] and they aren’t taking my bet. Can I wire that back to you?” CFO responds: “No sir we are tapped out with you.”
Looks like Mack will only be getting down the $675,000 at the Scarlet Pearl today.
1:14 p.m. ET: We just landed in Mississippi.
We spent an hour and 13 minutes in the air, and Mack used most of that time working to see what other bets might be available. He's already negotiated with the DraftKings Sportsbook in the Scarlet Pearl Casino to bet another $675,000 on the Astros. The bet would pay out $500,000 if Houston wins tonight.
As we drive to the casino he says, "It's time for the home team to win a game."
11:49 a.m. ET: Undeterred by Tuesday night's Game 6 loss, Mattress Mack is flying from Houston to Mississippi to bet another $675,000 on the Astros. The wager, which would profit $500,000 (-135 odds), will be placed at Scarlet Pearl Casino in Biloxi, Miss.
This brings his total wagered on Houston to win the World Series to $11,600,000 (of what we've been able to confirm). Should the Astros emerge from Game 7 victorious, Mack would net at least $19.37 million.
We'll have more on Mack's journey to and from Mississippi throughout the day, as we're spending the entire day with him as he sweats potentially the biggest bet on a single team in sports history.
Here's a full rundown of his wagers (among what we've confirmed).
Tuesday, Oct. 29
11:50 p.m. ET: The "Mattress Mack" Betting Saga has one more chapter. The Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros, 7-2, in Game 6 on Tuesday night to force a do-or-die Game 7 in Houston on Wednesday night. That means that, after all the hoopla and publicity, Mack's $11 million wager comes down to one game.
It was a rough night for the Astros and their fans, but it was even worse for Mack, who lost at least $1.29 million on a pair of bets on the Astros as -172 favorites in Game 6.
But if the Astros turn it around tomorrow, the $1.29 million McIngvale lost tonight will be but a footnote in what has become one of the great gambling stories in history.
[In New Jersey? Bet the World Series now at PointsBet]
Mack didn't say if he'd try and get down more money on the Astros ahead of Wednesday night's season finale, but he was scouring betting apps before the final out of Game 6. Nobody had posted any lines at that time, but they are up now.
The Astros, who were -800 favorites to win the World Series heading into Tuesday night, opened as -140 favorites in Game 7 at the Westgate SuperBook.
"I'm going to go to work and come to the ballpark," Mack said of his plans for Wednesday. "I'm all in."
Pretty calm for a man who has at least $19 million down at various sportsbooks from Sea to Shining Sea:
Monday, Oct. 28
11:35 p.m. ET: The World Series was off on Monday, but "Mattress Mack," managed to keep himself busy. The Houston native who has at least $11 million in World Series futures riding on his hometown team flew to Nevada to bet more on the Astros.
With the Astros up 3-2 and massive -800 favorites to win the series, Mack focused his attention on the Game 6 price, betting two separate times on Houston to win at William Hill, both at -172 odds:
- $860,000 to profit $500,000
- $430,000 to profit $250,000
- Total: $1,290,000 to profit $750,000
In addition to his massive pile of futures wagers (more on that in a moment), Mack has profited quite a bit off his single-game bets. Here's a rundown of what we've been able to learn:
- Won $584,615 on Game 5 of the ALCS
- Won $456,142 on Game 3 of the World Series
- Won $300,000 on Game 4 of the World Series
- Won $133,070 on Game 5 of the World Series
Add it all up and Mack has profited $1,473,827, which is more than the $1.29 million he's risking on Game 6.
If you're just catching up with this whole story, Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale is making all these bets on his hometown team as a means of hedging against a promotion running at his furniture stores, which he's told us carries upwards of $20 million in liability.
Sunday, Oct. 27
11:29 p.m. ET: Mattress Mack is on a roll. Jim McIngvale — the famed Astros bettor who's wagered 8-figures on his hometown team as a means of hedging promotions running at his furniture stores — just won $133,070 with Houston's Game 5 win.
Mack also made standalone wagers on the Astros in Games 3 and 4, all of which won, netting him $756,142. So in total, over the past three days, he's won $889,212.
[In New Jersey? Bet on the World Series now at PointsBet]
In terms of his futures bets, here's what McIngvale would win should the Astros capture one of the next two games at home:
5:37 p.m. ET: Earlier today, Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale told me he had one of his associates bet $312,400 on the Astros to win Game 5 of the World Series with Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer set to face off in an ace-vs.-ace battle. Mack got Houston at -149 odds at Circa Sportsbook (for $298K of his $312K) and -144 at a different shop (for $14,400). In total, he was set to profit $210,000 if the Astros won.
But a few hours after the bet was locked in, Scherzer got scratched from Game 5, shifting the odds dramatically. Because Mack selected the "Action" method of betting, his wagers did not void, but the odds adjusted. While he still has $312,400 on the line tonight, it's now to win $133,070, the equivalent of -236 odds.
Saturday, Oct. 26
11:59 p.m. ET: After Houston went down 0-2 in the World Series, millionaire Astros bettor Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale told me simply: "Gotta keep the faith."
He did more than that.
Over the next 72 hours, Mack proceeded to double down. He put $725,000 more on his hometown team to win the World Series, bringing his total to nearly $11 million (among what we've been able to confirm). He also bet $650,000 (to win $456,142) on the Astros in Game 3 and another $300K (to win $300K) on Houston in Game 4.
With the Astros winning both contest (on the road, no less), Mack was rewarded handsomely for keeping the faith, adding $756,142 to his bankroll.
2:15 p.m. ET: A day after winning $456,142 on the Astros winning Game 3 of the World Series, "Mattress Mack" flew from Washington D.C. to New Jersey to place another six-figure bet.
This time, the Houston furniture store owner plopped down $300,000 on Houston at +100 odds to win Game 4. If the Astros are victorious for a second consecutive night, he'll profit exactly $300,000.
William Hill, which just paid out $357,142 to Mack last night, accepted the wager.
Friday, Oct. 25
As the Astros completed their first victory of the World Series, Jim McIngvale — aka "Mattress Mack," the famed Houston furniture store owner who's bet more than $10 million on the Astros to win the World Series — might've left Nationals Park the biggest winner of them all.
Earlier on Friday, Mack made a pitstop in New Jersey to add to his laundry-list of Astros wagers. He bet $650,000 to win $456,142 on Game 3 alone — and using mobile apps in New Jersey, along with friends in Las Vegas, he got another $725,000 down on Houston to win it all. Those three futures wagers would profit $1,555,000 if the Astros complete their comeback.
Below is a full rundown of McIngvale's bets (that we've been able to confirm) on Houston to win the World Series. In addition to these bets, Mack has profited at least $1,040,757 on single-game wagers.
Part of the reason McIngvale is doing all this betting on his hometown team is that his furniture store stands to refund more than $20 million in sales if Houston wins the World Series.
Tuesday, Oct. 22
5:42 p.m. ET: "Mattress Mack" isn't the only deep-pocketed bettor with a lot riding on the World Series. The Texas-based furniture mogul certainly has the most money down, with $8.25 million on the Astros to win over $15.4 million, but there are some other bettors out there standing to win some serious dough on the World Series.
William Hill reports they have seven World Series futures — including Mack's clubhouse-leading $325,000 bet on Houston at +155 — that would return at least $42,000.
The earliest bet, a $15,000 wager on the Nationals at 22-1, was placed on Halloween. If the Nats win, that bettor would net $330,000 — making it the biggest potential payout on Washington at William Hill.
Here are the biggest futures riding on the World Series at William Hill:
Saturday, Oct. 19
7:45 p.m. ET: "Mattress Mack" added another $1 million bet on the Astros to win the World Series ahead of Game 6 in Houston on Saturday night, bringing his total wagers to more than $8.25 million.
He placed the bet at FanDuel’s Sportsbook in New Jersey, where he got -150 odds. This particular wager would profit $666,666. If Houston goes on to win the World Series, Mattress Mack would net north of $15.4 million.
Friday, Oct. 18
3:20 p.m. ET: The Houston Astros are one game away from the World Series, but “Mattress Mack” isn’t relaxing.
The owner of Houston-based Gallery Furniture is on his last day of giving full refunds to customers if the Astros win the World Series and his liability is approaching $20 million we’re told.
And he’s in the office.
“It’s going crazy in here,” he yells into the phone.
Unable to get insurance, we've tracked “Mattress Mack” making $7.25 million in bets on the Astros to win the World Series with a payout of $14.8 million if they won.
“I’m not gonna tell you how much I’ve bet, but it’s more than that,” Mack, whose real name is Jim McIngvale, said. “Hey, can you put my cell phone in the article? So that bookmakers can call me?”
On Saturday and Sunday, “Mack” said Gallery Furniture's promotion will go from giving a full refund for purchases to customers getting 50% off.
For all intents and purposes, Mack has already covered his liability. According to Apex Marketing Group, he's gotten $5.1 million in value from the media coverage of his bets.
Wednesday, Oct. 16
12:15 p.m. ET: The Washington Nationals completed their NCLS sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night, advancing to the World Series.
Back in May, the Nats were in last place, and books saw significant action on their World Series and NL pennant odds. According to William Hill director of trading Nick Bogdanovich, the book got smoked last night when the Nats advanced. Here are the biggest NL pennant bets William Hill paid out:
William Hill also has significant liability on Nationals World Series futures. Here's a rundown of the tickets still in play at the book, with multiple bettors who would profit six-figures if Washington goes on to win:
12 p.m. ET: New Jersey operator PointsBet took a bath when the Nats advanced to the World Series. It had a customer who put $133,000 last week on a parlay of the Nats to win the NL and the Texans +6.5 versus Kansas City. Houston easily covered the number on Sunday and when Washington advanced, this bettor profited $233,000.
Tuesday, Oct. 15
5:45 p.m. ET: Yesterday, a $500,000 bet on the Astros to win the World Series circulated on Twitter. It came a day after Houston tied up the ACLS vs. the Yankees at one game each, and seemed to be the work of Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, the Houston furniture store owner who has more than $15 million in liability from promotions if the Astros win another ring.
This afternoon, I was indeed able to confirm that McIngvale was the bettor who placed the wager at Circa Sports in Las Vegas. He got +210 odds, so this particular bet would profit $1,050,000 if Houston wins.
Below is a running tally of all the bets that we've been able to confirm Mattress Mack has placed on the Astros to win the World Series. McIngvale also wagered $1,504,000 on Houston to win Game 5 of the ALDS, which profited him $584,615.40.
4:40 p.m. ET: Another day, another massive wager on the Astros to win the World Series from Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale. The Houston furniture store owner plopped down $500,000 on Houston at +160 odds, as Patrick Everson first reported. The bet would profit $800,000.
Sunday, Oct. 13
3:15 p.m. ET: Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale isn't done getting action down on his beloved Houston Astros.
McIngvale, the famed Houston furniture owner who is attempting to hedge $15 million in promotions he'll have to pay out if the Astros win the World Series, put another $250,000 on Houston to win the World Series at Unibet. This bet, one of many he's made over the past few days, would pay out $750,000.
That brings Mattress Mack's total investments to $6.25 million. If Houston wins, he'd profit $12.95 million. (And remember, he already pocketed $584,615.40 from wagers placed on the Astros in Game 5 of the ALDS.)
The Mattress magnate isn't the only big bettor getting down big money on baseball today. CG Technology reported that they took a pair of $20,000 bets from the same bettor on the Cardinals to win the NLCS. The $40,000 bets would pay out $179,000.
Saturday, Oct. 12
10:05 a.m. ET: A day after winning nearly $600,000 on the Astros in Game 5 of the NLDS, McIngvale flew to New Jersey to put even more on Houston's title odds.
Unibet, a long-time European operator that recently moved into the New Jersey market in June 2019, took two separate $500,000 mobile wagers from McIngvale on the Astros at +120 odds. The bets were placed from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey on Friday night.
Those winnings would nearly cover his liability from the promotion, which he told The Action Network was a little bit more than $15 million.
Jonathan Aiwazian, VP of Unibet’s Sportsbook, said this was the largest wager the book had taken since opening its U.S. operations, adding, “It took a few days to figure out the logistics (he needed to travel to NJ), but we enjoyed chatting with him every step of the way. Jim was happy to take the odds we had live, and we wish him luck with this bet.”
Thursday, Oct. 10
10:25 p.m. ET: The Houston furniture store mogul who is hedging his promotion that would give away $15 million worth of free furniture by betting on the Astros made some money back on Game 5 tonight.
The man they call “Mattress Mack” first bet $504,000 on Game 5 at Circa in Las Vegas and followed it up Thursday with a $1 million bet at William Hill.
William Hill spokesman Michael Grodsky confirmed after the Astros won that it was indeed Jim McIngvale, aka “Mattress Mack,” who placed the $1 million Game 5 wager we reported on earlier today.
The result of risking $1,504,000? A cool $584,615.40 in profit.
Mattress Mack has many bets pending on the Astros to win the World Series, including a $3.5 million wager at a DraftKings book in Mississippi and $1.5 million at FanDuel in New Jersey. Those two bets would net him $11 million if the Astros do in fact win it all.
3:55 p.m. ET: Can the Rays, whose starting lineup cost less than five times what the Astros lineup does, pull a huge upset vs. Houston tonight? One bettor in Vegas is extremely confident that won't happen: William Hill took a $1 million bet on the Astros this afternoon ON ITS APP. At -260 odds, it would net $385,000 if they prevail. William Hill spokesman Michael Grodsky would not confirm or deny if the bet was placed by Mattress Mack.
Wednesday, Oct. 9
7:25 p.m. ET: The Dodgers onslaught continues at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook. Yesterday evening, we reported on two back-to-back wagers of $50,000 and $25,000 on LA to beat the Nationals outright tonight on Game 5. And an hour before pitch, another $25K bet came through — this one at -167 odds, meaning it'll net nearly $15,000 if the Dodgers and Walker Buehler go on to close out the series tonight.
SuperBook executive director John Murray told The Action Network that they've been able to get a little Washington action to level off their Dodgers liability, but, "We still need the Nationals tonight."
4:55 p.m. ET: Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale — the Houston furniture store owner who's already bet $5 million on his hometown team to win the World Series — is back for more. He just wagered $504,000 to win $200,000 on the Astros to win Thursday's Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Rays. The bet, which was placed at Circa Sports in Las Vegas, was first reported by VSiN's Paul Howard and confirmed to The Action Network by Circa representatives.
McIngvale had placed the previous $5 million in wagers (to profit a total of $11 million) as a means of hedging a large promotion he's been running at his Houston furniture stores, which would refund large purchases if the Astros win the World Series.
This bet, since it's just on the Astros to win the World Series, isn't a direct hedge against the promotion, but it's another way McIngvale is trying to protect himself against his potential liability.
Back on Oct. 1, when Mattress Mack placed his initial $3.5 million wager on Houston to win the World Series, he told The Action Network, "My liability is a little bit north of $15 million. So I still have other bets to place."
11:00 a.m. ET: After a flurry of five-figure Game 5 bets on the Dodgers on Tuesday night, it's clear the SuperBook in Las Vegas will be big Washington fans for tonight's game. New Jersey operator PointsBet will have similar needs, as the $315,000 series bet it received on L.A. prior to Game 1 represents the book's biggest MLB series liability. PointsBet would have to pay out nearly $150,000 if the Dodgers come through.
Tuesday, Oct. 8
10:23 p.m. ET: It took less than 30 minutes for the SuperBook to take another five-figure wager on Walker Buehler and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5. This one was from a different customer and for $25,000 at -160 odds (profits $15,625).
9:57 p.m. ET: The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook just took a $50,000 bet on the Dodgers to win Game 5 on Wednesday vs. the Nationals. Placed at -152 odds, this wager would profit nearly $33K.
Monday, Oct. 7
10:10 a.m. ET: Just got word of a huge bet on the Dodgers to win their NLDS series against the Cardinals that came in prior to Game 1. A customer at PointsBet put $315,000 on the Dodgers at -213 odds.
The wager would profit $147,887 if the Dodgers advance.
Wednesday, Oct. 2
Mattress Mack does it again: A day after placing a $3.5 million wager on the Astros to win the World Series, he bet another $1.5 million at FanDuel Sportsbook in New Jersey. McIngvale got +220 odds on this bet, as well, meaning he's bet $5 million total on the Astros and if they win the World Series, he'll profit $11 million.
Fun fact: Mattress Mack placed the wager on his mobile device. Talk about a big wire transfer…
Tuesday, Oct. 1
The famed Houston furniture store owner Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale has officially placed his $3.5 million bet on the Astros to win the World Series. The DraftKings Sportsbook at the Scarlet Pearl Casino in Biloxi, Miss., accepted the bet.
His wager is a partial hedge of a big promotion he's running at his stores, in which customers would get refunds on purchases of $3,000 or more if the Astros go on to win the World Series.
McIngvale got +220 on the bet, so he would profit $7.7 million if the Astros end up winning the World Series.
