“Mattress Mack”, a Houston furniture retail chain owner, has place a multi-million dollar bet on the Houston Astros to win the world series – a 3.6 million dollar bet to be exact. He stands to win $35m if the Astros go all the way. Read more below about the possible biggest payout in U.S. sports betting history.
From GamingAmerica.com:
Houston furniture store owner Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale has placed $3.6m on the Houston Astros to win the World Series, and one wager could feature the biggest payout in U.S. sports betting history.
Mack places enormous wagers to hedge “Astros Win” promotions at Gallery Furniture stores. If the Astros win the World Series, customers who spent $3,000 or more on mattresses would get their money back.
Mack’s biggest Astros wager is a $2m bet on the William Hill (now Caesars Sportsbook) mobile app at +1,000. The wager would payout $22m, believed to be the largest amount in U.S. history if it hits.
Mack placed the bet back in June when the Astros still had relatively long odds. Entering the MLB playoffs, the Astros had the second-best odds of any team to win the World Series, trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Astros have a two games to one lead over the Chicago White Sox in the American League Division Series. The winner will play either the Boston Red Sox or the Tampa Bay Rays in the league’s championship series, with the winner of that advancing to the World Series.
“Obviously the Astros would be the worst-case scenario,” Caesars vice president Craig Mucklow said, according to Action Network. “This is the first time I’ve seen something like this wager in the futures market. It’s an exciting bet to take, but it would be nice if they got knocked out early.”
