Texas furniture tycoon Mattress Mack makes another huge bet in Biloxi. Who did he bet on?
He turned a $10 million wager on the Astros to win the World Series into a $75 million record payout.
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale flew to Biloxi Tuesday to see if he can repeat a big payout, this time with a bet on Houston to win the NCAA Championship.
Wearing a World Series hoodie and orange Houston cap, McIngvale arrived at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi shortly after 6 p.m. He paused for pictures, interviews and a hug from a fan as he made his way from the front door to the BetMGM Sportsbook at the back of the casino.
Fresh off his $75 million win on the Houston Astros to win the World Series — the most ever won on a sport bet — he flew one hour from Houston, where sports betting isn’t legal, to South Mississippi to bet on the University of Houston Cougars to win the national basketball championship next spring.
“Hopefully I’ll be back in April to cash it in,” he said.
“I feel lucky,” he said. “I’m glad to be in Biloxi and glad to be back in my home state in Mississippi.”
He said he was born in Starkville, and he said his father played football for Mississippi State in the SEC championship in the 1940s.
“He’s no longer with us, but his spirit is with me,” he said.
His wife, Linda, who helps him operate their chain of Gallery Furniture stores in the Houston area, accompanied him to Biloxi.
Making the wager
McInvale wired the money to the Beau Rivage, and the casino exchanged it into a handful of chips at the cage.
He posed for selfies with people who recognized him and wanted his luck to rub off and then made his way to place his wager.
He was all business for the few moments it took to turn those chips into a $500,000 bet at 10 to 1 odds, place his ticket in his blue backpack and turn to answer questions from the media.
Why does he bet?
Of the $75 million he won on his $10 million wagers on the World Series, McInvale said he returned almost all of it to his customers.
The promotion was that if Houston won, the money customers spent on mattresses and furniture at their stores would be returned twofold.
He won $75 million and returned $73 million to his customers, he said. The other $2 million covered expenses.
“We’re still giving it back,” he said, and had thousands of customers waiting in line Sunday night at his store to claim their refunds. “So it’s been a lot of fun and people are very happy.”
Customers told him the refund on the mattress was “life changing,” he said.
They could buy more furniture, pay their kids’ college tuition — “Lots of good things,” he said.
Why Biloxi and the Beau Rivage?
“I like MGM because they take big bets and they’re a great partner with me,” he said.
If Houston wins the championship, McInvale will get a $5 million payout, said Carl Johnson, sportsbook manager at Beau Rivage, and get his $500,000 bet returned.
McInvale was luckier on his bets on the Astros this year than in 2019, when he showed up at Scarlet Pearl Casino in D’Iberville, across the Bay from the Beau Rivage, with a briefcase full of money and placed a $1 million bet on Houston. He upped his bet at Scarlet Pearl and at the Beau Rivage.
“He hasn’t been lucky with us,” Johnson said. But that could change this time.
With Houston playing well this season, Johnson said, “He’s got a legitimate chance to win this bet.”
It’s been awhile since the team has been close to playing for the national title, McInvale said. Houston lost in the Final Four to Baylor in 2021 and lost in the Elite Eight last year to Villanova.
“I really like Kelvin Sampson. He’s a great coach,” he said. “They have a great team, great school.”
He has another lucky omen, McInvale said. The NCAA Men’s basketball finals will be at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas next year.
