One of the world’s most famous gamblers has resurfaced ahead of Super Bowl 2026.
Jim McIngvale, a Houston furniture store owner popularly known as “Mattress Mack,” made a bold $2 million bet on the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks.
The bet was placed at Caesars Sportsbook with odds of +200, making it the largest bet received by the bookmaker before the game. If the Patriots win, McIngvale will have a net profit of an incredible US$4 million.
Who is Mattress Mack?
A well-known figure in US betting, the 74-year-old tycoon is known for making bets of this magnitude.
He often uses these huge bets on major sporting events as a “hedge” strategy for promotions at his store, Gallery Furniture, located in Houston, his hometown.
For the Super Bowl final, the businessman promoted a risky offer in his store: customers who spend $4,000 or more on select mattresses or furniture will receive a full refund if the Patriots win the title.
Using this tactic, McIngvale takes advantage of the legalization of sports betting to promote its brand without losing money.
What are the possible scenarios?
Either way, “Mattress Mack” won’t be the loser in this situation. If the Patriots win, he’ll use the $4 million from the bet to pay out refunds to his customers. The generated publicity and sales volume will offset the cost.
On the other hand, if the Patriots lose, he loses the $2 million bet, but keeps all the profit from the record sales made during the promotion.
The stakes used to be higher.
Although the amount is impressive, this isn’t Mack’s biggest bet. In 2022, he won the largest amount in the history of legalized sports betting.
This happened when the Houston Astros won the baseball World Series. At the time, the businessman made an impressive US$75 million.
Last year, he didn’t participate in the promotion because he was recovering from surgery, but now he’s back in full force.
Super Bowl LX (60) will be played on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
