Jim McIngvale, higher referred to as “Bed Mack,” mentioned he drove 100 miles from Houston to go the border into Louisiana on Thursday to make what is believed to be the biggest cell sports activities bet in U.S. historical past.
The furnishings retailer rich person guess $4.53 million at the Cincinnati Bengals to win Tremendous Bowl LVI.
To make the guess legally, McIngvale needed to depart his house state of Texas for Louisiana, which simply introduced cell sports activities having a bet on Jan. 28. McIngvale drove to a comfort retailer simply around the border to make the bet on Caesars Sportsbook app.
“If it is advisable to see me there, pecking on my telephone for 2 hours, you would see it wasn’t too glamorous,” he mentioned in an interview.
Bed Mack is understood for making outrageous sports activities bets to reduce the affect of his sports-themed gross sales promotions at his furnishings retailer. The present promotion gives to refund any bed or reclining lounge furnishings acquire if the Bengals win the Tremendous Bowl.
Houston trade proprietor Jim Bed Mack McIngvale poses for a portrait at his retailer Gallery Furnishings in Houston, Texas on February 17, 2021.
Mark Felix | The Washington Submit | Getty Photographs
If the Bengals overcome the Los Angeles Rams, the $7.7 million greenbacks McIngvale will win will allay the price of the refunds, he mentioned. If the Bengals lose, he admits he is out $4.5 million and most probably within the doghouse along with his spouse, however says he is growing logo reputation and pleasure for his consumers.
He credit Caesars Sportsbook with accepting this sizable bet, and says different sportsbooks have grew to become him down or given him less-favorable odds.
Caesars Sportsbook instructed CNBC, “We aren’t in any respect afraid to absorb a $4.5 million guess at the Tremendous Bowl, and we embody accepting the largest bets at the greatest occasions.”
The Tremendous Bowl is the largest unmarried sports activities having a bet tournament within the U.S. The most important recognized guess at the recreation was once a $7.9 million bet at -900 odds in 2002.
Mack mentioned he attempted however did not make a unmarried $4.5 million guess. As an alternative, he entered a couple of bets to make that bet. On the other hand, Caesars Sportsbook mentioned its machine can maintain a bet of that magnitude on one guess slip.
