[icon]

The Houston furniture retailer, real name Jim McIngvale, may be behind a potential massive wager in New Jersey. So massive, in fact, that a request has been made to the state’s regulatory body to allow such a bet.

FanDuel Sportsbook confirmed to TheLines on Monday that it has filed a petition requesting the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement waive the state’s $5 million cap for a customer.


Who would bet big on the Astros at FanDuel?

Taking the Astros to win the World Series is not exactly a daring play. FanDuel favors Houston to win its second title in three years, listing the Astros at +220 to do just that.

Of course, it is possible the bet could be on Houston to win the American League Championship Series. The Astros sit at -120 in that category. But smart money says it is on the Astros to win it all.

As for who would make such a bold bet, one culprit comes to mind as a good guess.

He goes by the name of Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, a furniture retailer in Houston. When the Astros won the World Series in 2017, McIngvale reportedly refunded more than $13 million to customers who participated in the win-it-all promotion. He has brought it back for 2019.

McIngvale also lost $7 million on his store’s promotion in 2014 when the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl. He did not apparently hedge that bet in Las Vegas.

It seems logical Mattress Mack might need a financial backstop should Houston pull it off yet again. A big bet in New Jersey could help. And FanDuel Sportsbook would probably love the PR that comes with facilitating the bet.
Astro-nomical wager request in NJ

The Houston Astros are mentioned in conjunction with the petition in NJ. However, few other details are available regarding the nature of the bet, including if this wager would be made at the FanDuel retail sportsbook at Meadowlands Racetrack or via its online sportsbook.

That said, it appears this bettor — we have no confirmation if it is in fact McIngvale — is willing to write a fat check, if the title of the petition is any indication:

“Division’s Approval For A Waiver On The $5 Million Cap On A Wager And Confirm Our Understanding Of The Treatment Of The Wager Itself And The Potential Payout On A State Gaming Tax basis.”

Note the request for the $5 million cap to be waived. This certainly indicates that the bettor is willing to go over that total.

FanDuel petitioned the DGE, as the regulatory body explicitly states that “(n)o wager in excess of $5 million can be accepted for any reason.”

https://www.thelines.com/huge-bet-on...el-sportsbook/

[Bluehorseshoe]

That guy owes me money.

[TheMoneyShot]

Sounds like a publicity stunt to get more people to wager.

[icon]

That guy owes me money.

If the Astros win the World Series you should hang out at the Meadowlands Racetrack and wait for this dude to show up to cash his winning ticket. You'll get paid.

[icon]

Sounds like a publicity stunt to get more people to wager.

A stunt by who? The guy from Texas?

[TheMoneyShot]

A stunt by who? The guy from Texas?

Whoever the dude is. Show me a ticket or tell the dude to GTFO with this nonsense.

Just a bunch of BS hype. Losing wager anyways.

[TommieGunshot]

Can get a better line in Las Vegas, but jjgold talked him into giving up $2.75 million if Houston wins, because jj couldn't win in Vegas

[Goat Milk]

Can get a better line in Las Vegas, but jjgold talked him into giving up $2.75 million if Houston wins, because jj couldn't win in Vegas

Vegas probably wouldn't even pay. You'd prolly go in there, go to the back, and disappear shortly after.

[Mac4Lyfe]

He's just hedging his furniture play. Smart move.

[cankid]

I think the duffle bag guy is his nephew

[2daBank]

what a ass., fukkin 5 mil.

[RockyBalboa]

Yep Mattress Mack offers these promos from time to time. Free furniture if you buy a certain amount. Then he hedges at a book to cover himself.

[wikkidinsane]

This guy needs to pay more taxes. look wtf he is doing, once you have a certain amount of money, its like book paper

[jjgold]

Sounds like a publicity stunt to get more people to wager.

always is

[hubie69]

This guy was doing this a few years back when the Stros were in the series.

[Snowball]

it's just a hedge against his promo.....not a "bet".

doesn't he already have insurance for this ?

[jjgold]

I’ve been reading up he is a known big gambler

[CJ]

[mrpapageorgio]

This has to be a publicity stunt. There are insurance companies that specialize in writing policies for business promotions like this. Even Berkshire Hathaway wrote a policy for Pepsi when they had that billion dollar contest nobody won.

[RockyBalboa]

https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports...on-astros/amp/

There’s an article from a couple years ago on him hedging.

I live in Houston now and a friend of mine and his wife bought some furniture and ended up getting it free when the Astros won the Series.

He’s pretty big in the city. When Harvey hit two years ago he opened up his store for displaced people and let them sleep on all the furniture in the store.