HOUSTON — *EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of this story originally said he was placing the bet in Vegas, but we later learned he placed the bet with a Mississippi casino.*
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale showed up at a Mississippi casino with a briefcase full of cash to bet on the Houston Astros winning the World Series.
The Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort accepted Mack’s $3.5 million bet. If the Astros win, he'll get $11.2 million.
Mack said he turned to Biloxi, Mississippi to cover his bases because he’s doing another World Series promotion: If you spend $3,000 or more on a mattress and the Astros win it all, you get a refund.
Gallery Furniture offered a similar deal when the Astros won in 2017 and refunded more than $13,000,000.
The Houston Astros are the hottest team in baseball, so no insurance companies would give Mack an acceptable rate to cover this year’s deal.
"After the trade, the Astros got real popular, so the insurance price went up,” Mack said. “So, we just hope a lot of customers come in and buy these mattresses, because the best thing we can do is give away lots of mattresses to our customers if they win it all.”
The Scarlet Pearl bet is one of the largest ever taken by a U.S. bookmaker, according to ESPN.
We hope they at least comped his room and buffet.
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