HOUSTON, Texas – Houston furniture mogul Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale is coming up short after placing one of the largest Super Bowl bets of the year.
According to ESPN, McIngvale wagered $2 million with Caesars Sportsbook on the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl LX. The Patriots entered the game as underdogs against the Seattle Seahawks but ultimately fell short Sunday night, resulting in a multimillion-dollar loss for the Houston businessman.
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The bet was the largest Super Bowl wager Caesars accepted this year. At 2-1 odds, McIngvale stood to win a net $4 million if the Patriots had pulled off the upset.
As part of the wager, McIngvale tied the outcome of the game to a promotion at his Gallery Furniture stores. Customers who spent $4,000 or more on qualifying mattresses and furniture would have received their money back if the Patriots won. With the loss, those refunds will not be issued.
McIngvale, who turns 75 in February, has built a national reputation for pairing massive sports bets with store promotions, using increased sales to offset gambling risks.
He famously won an estimated $75 million in 2022 by betting on the Houston Astros to win the World Series, one of the largest payouts in U.S. sports betting history.
However, his Super Bowl track record has been mixed. He won big backing Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021 but lost millions betting on the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022. He has also suffered seven-figure losses on bets involving the University of Houston men’s basketball team in the NCAA tournament.
After sitting out last year’s Super Bowl while recovering from heart surgery, McIngvale returned this season and once again backed the underdog.
“I really like their quarterback [Drake Maye], coach [Mike Vrabel] and offensive coordinator [Josh McDaniels], plus Robert Kraft is always there,” McIngvale told ESPN ahead of the game.
ESPN reports that last year saw no disclosed $1 million Super Bowl bets from U.S. sportsbooks. This year, at least two were reported — both on the Patriots. Circa Sports also confirmed it accepted a $1.1 million wager on New England to win outright.