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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
World
Anita McSorley & Ciaran Wiseman

Man known as Mattress Mack wins world's 'biggest-ever sports bet' for €75 million

An American man, known as Mattress Mack, has won what's claimed to be the world's biggest-ever sports bet.

The 71-year-old scooped a massive $75 million, which comes in at €75,026,250 in euros.

Notorious better Mattress Mack, whose real name is Jim McIngvale, staked bets worth £8.5million (€9.7m) on Major League Baseball franchise the Houston Astros, with his victory confirmed over the weekend.

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The Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 in game six of the World Series to claim a 4-2 win in the series and land McIngvale his massive payout, Daily Star reports.

Prior to the match, he had thrown the first pitch and was sat in the front row for the game before jumping up and down in celebration when victory was sealed.

McIngvale was also seen high-fiving those sat around him in the stands as he was congratulated on his latest betting triumph.

HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 28: James Franklin McIngvale, also known as "Mattress Mack", poses with fans prior to Game One of the 2022 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on October 28, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Mattress Mack later shared a picture of his celebrations on social media, tweeting an image of himself holding a briefcase full of cash and writing: “How tweet it is 75 million (USD).”

He also wrote a touching message of thanks to the city of Houston, the Astros and his wife Linda as he came to terms with his outrageous victory.

This weekend's win comes after McIngvale lost £1million (€1.15m) when his horse was beaten at the Kentucky Derby back in May. He also lost £7million (€8.03m) betting on the Cincinnati Bengals to win the Super Bowl in February.

McIngvale is renowned for his punting, despite sports betting being illegal in the state of Texas, where Mattress Mack lives. In order to place his bets he travels to either Las Vegas or Louisiana.

He also ties his wagers in with promotions at his furniture shops in order to boost his income and ensure he still wins regardless of the outcome of his bets.

McIngvale allows customers who purchase a mattress to get their money back if he goes on to win big, as he did at the weekend.

The Astros' victory over the Phillies saw them claim the second World Series in their history, having only won their first five years ago in 2017.

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