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In 2019, Jim McIngvale made one hell of a splash and generated a tsunami of publicity when he wagered $3.5 million on the Astros to win the World Series—a number that has risen to almost $13 million by the time the man more commonly known as “Mattress Mack” placed his final bet ahead of the team’s championship showdown with the Nationals.
The owner of “Houston’s largest furniture store” had some serious incentive to back his hometown team, as he was on the hook for the $15 million he’d have to refund to customers if the Astros secured the title as part of a promotion he’d run over the course of the regular season (in the end, both he and the sportsbook who took the wagers took home a tidy sum, as the Nationals ultimately came out on top).
That was the first time most people had heard of Mattress Mack, but it was far from the last. Over the past few years, the furniture mogul has routinely landed back in the headlines as he’s continued to raise the stakes by doing things like setting the record for the largest wager ever placed at a legal sportsbook by dropping $5 million on the Bengals to win Super Bowl LVI.
While that bet (and the others that contributed to the total of $9.5 million he had riding on Cincinnati) didn’t end up cashing, Mattress Mack has repeatedly stressed virtually all of his head-turning wagers primarily serve as an insurance policy against the various promos he’s run at his store. When you consider he’s worth an estimated $300 million, it seems like this approach has worked out pretty well for him—but the same can’t be said about the teams he’s backed.
I decided to take a look at Mattress Mack’s betting history in the wake of his most recent loss to try to figure out how much he’s “lost” (at least when you take the compensatory furniture sales out of the equation), and, well, it seems like he may have unseated Drake as the biggest jinx in sports based on his impressively abysmal track record.
Take a look…
2019 World Series
As mentioned above, Mattress Mack said he lost $13 million after the Astros fell to the Nationals in the World Series, but that’s nothing compared to what he’s managed to gamble away since then.
2020 NFL Playoffs
Mattress Mack attempted to bounce back a few months after the World Series by placing a series of wagers over the course of the NFL postseason. He first threw $1 million on the Texans to beat the Chiefs in their divisional matchup, and after Kansas City prevailed, he bet the same amount in the hopes the Titans would defeat Mahomes and Co. in the conference championship.
After losing once again, Mattress Mack continued to chug the haterade and plunked down another million on the 49ers to best the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV only to come up empty yet again.
2020 World Series
Mattress Mack didn’t have any liabilities after declining to run promos during the MLB’s abbreviated 2020 season, but he couldn’t stop himself from throwing down a relatively modest $10,000 on the Astros to win the World Series.
He would’ve taken home $300,000 if they’d managed to defy the 30-1 odds, but ultimately walked away with nothing after they were eliminated by the Rays in the ALCS.
Super Bowl LV
After dangling refunds to Gallery Furniture customers in the event of a Buccaneers victory in Super Bowl LV to drum up sales, Mattress Mack bet $3,460,000 on Tampa Bay to cover the spread against the Chiefs. Tom Brady and the rest of the Bucs didn’t have a problem doing exactly that in the 31-9 win, and our man netted a cool $2,720,000 as a result.
Unfortunately, it’s been all downhill from there.
2021 March Madness
After the Houston Cougars punched their ticket to the Elite Eight in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Mattress Mack once again put his faith in a local squad that was given 9-1 odds to win the entire thing. However, he forfeited another $1 million courtesy of another team three hours north, as Houston was eliminated following a Final Four loss to Baylor.
2021 Kentucky Derby
Mattress Mack got back on his horse ahead of the Kentucky Derby by backing Essential Quality to the tune of $4 million, but missed out after the favorite failed to show in a race where Medina Spirit came out on top.
2022 College Football Playoff
Mattress Mack initially put $1.2 million worth of his faith in Alabama to beat Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship, and that number rose to $6.2 million by the time the Crimson Tide faced off against the Bulldogs.
However, he would take home a grand total of $0 when everything was said and done.
Super Bowl LVI
In the weeks leading up to Super Bowl LVI, Mattress Mack placed a $700,000 bet on the Titans to win it all and supplemented that wager with another $2 million on the Patriots to raise the Lombardi Trophy. Neither of those futures panned out, and Mattress Mack once again finished the NFL postseason without posting a win when the Rams prevailed against the Bengals.
2022 Kentucky Derby
Mack was far from the only person to put his faith into Epicenter ahead of the showdown at Churchill Downs—which he did to the tune of $2.6 million.
He would’ve taken home $12 million if his bet on the favorite had cashed, and it looked like there was a very good chance it was going to until Rich Strike surged down the home stretch to treat the world to one of the most shocking finishes in the history of the race.
2022 March Madness
Mattress Mack was hoping Kansas would be the team to help him end his cold streak by topping UNC in the national championship game, and the Jayhawks were kind enough to do exactly that by staging a dramatic comeback in the second half to win around $15 million.
2022 World Series
When the Astros punched their ticket to the World Series, Mattress Mack was poised to take home a grand total of $75 million if his hometown team was able to triumph over the Phillies.
He may not have had the most pleasant experience while watching a game in Philadelphia, but it’s safe to assume he was more than happy to put up with the opposing fans in Philly when you consider he walked away with the largest win in the history of legal sports betting when Houston won the title.
So how much has Mattress Mack lost?
As things currently stand, teams that have earned Mattress Mack’s support boast a record of 3-13, but he’s currently in the green to the tune of $47,360,000 since kicking off his betting escapades.