Whether you're an avid MLB bettor or even a part-time fan, you'll know just how difficult it is to predict the success of any team, let alone who will win the World Series.
I personally wouldn't risk more than a few dollars on a bet like that, but the following people wagered the biggest bets in history and you'll be shocked at just how much they bet.
Mattress Mack: $10 Million On Astros
Mattress Mack, otherwise known as Jim McIngvale, is the furniture kingpin of Texas, where he runs a chain of stores called Gallery Furniture. He's used his fortune to fuel a gambling run that includes a string of wagers well into the millions.
Earlier last year, McIngvale had a $9.5 million loss when he bet on the Cincinnati Bengals to win the Super Bowl. But he still continues to make ridiculous wagers as a way to promote his business.
After years of outrageous bets and huge losses, he finally landed one...
He won on a $10 million wager on the Houston Astros to win the World Series back in 2022, after which the bookies wrote the biggest check in sports betting history to Mattress Mack, to the tune of $75 million.
Despite being one of the largest wagers in sports betting history, this bet was just a fraction of his estimated $300 million net worth. But he likely ended up eating a huge chunk of his profits as he used the bet to promote his furniture stores.
In October, McIngvale told Forbes he had sold $73 million worth of mattresses with a promotion that allowed any customer who spent $3,000 or more on a mattress to receive it for free if the Astros won. In May, June and July, he even offered customers double their money back, presumably out of fear that he'd actually made the right call.
And this guy doesn't just bet on baseball, you'll find him placing millions of dollars on all the major leagues in the US...
Mattress Mack just put $2 Million on the Dallas Cowboys beating the San Francisco 49ers 😳
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) January 21, 2023
pic.twitter.com/qWNuwspmoS
Anonymous: $8 Million on Dodgers
In 2019, an unknown person made one of the biggest World Series bets ever. They wagered $8 million on the Los Angeles team to win game 6. The Dodgers won, and the bettor walked away with $14 million.
Before game 6, this individual had bet $1 million on each World Series game. After winning $8 million, they reinvested it all on the Dodgers to win game 6. The odds changed at the South Point Hotel, with the Dodgers initially favoured at +100 but shifting to -150 before the game started. It appeared to be a move to limit the hotel's potential losses.
In the end, this anonymous bettor turned $1 million into an incredible $14 million by betting on the 2019 World Series.
Mattress Mack: $3.5 Million on Astros
His huge 2022 win wasn't the first time Mattress Mack made headlines for betting on the Astros.
In 2019, he placed a $3.5 million bet on the Astros to win the World Series. The wager was placed at the Scarlet Pearl in D’Iberville, Mississippi, coinciding with the start of the MLB postseason in early October.
The Astros were considered underdogs with odds of 11-5 to win the World Series, promising a potential payout of $7.7 million. A victory for the Astros would have marked their second championship in just three years.
Sadly, Mattress Mack lost this bet, but as we all know, he returned 3 years later to cash in for $75 million.
Anonymous: $100,000 on Royals
Back in 2015, a man nicknamed "Vegas Dave" made a colossal bet on the World Series that went down in history. He placed a total of 26 wagers, collectively amounting to $100,000, all betting on the Royals to secure the championship. His bold move paid off, earning him nearly $2.5 million in winnings.
Despite facing scepticism from others, Vegas Dave had unwavering confidence in the Royals. He believed they were a team destined for victory. To maximise his potential earnings, he spread his bets across multiple sportsbooks.
It's worth noting that the Royals had a remarkable start to the 2015 season, winning their first seven games. Eventually, they found themselves facing off against the Mets in the World Series and emerged triumphant in just five games, securing the championship. It was a redemption for the Royals, who had reached the World Series the previous season but fell short in a seven-game series.
So there you have it! The biggest ever bets placed on the MLB World Series. Do you think Mattress Mack will land another huge wager?
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(Header Image Credit: Troy Taormina - USA TODAY Sports)
