(NewsNation Now) — James Franklin McIngvale, better known as “Mattress Mack,” is no stranger to making headlines for his hefty bets and clever promotions for his furniture chain.
And he’s doing it again this year.
Mack, who owns Gallery Furniture in Houston, Texas, bet $4.5 million on the Cincinnati Bengals to defeat the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 13.
But he may not be in store for as big a loss as you may think.
If customers spend $3,000 at his store, and the Bengals win, they will get their money back.
“Customers love the promotion; they’re flocking in there all day buying furniture. It’s good for the customers, good for us and we’re planning for Cincinnati big time,” he told NewsNation’s “On Balance With Leland Vittert.”
Mack has made some hefty bets before. He said in the past he’s lost $3 million on the Houston Astros, $5 million on the Alabama Crimson Tide and a “couple million” on the New England Patriots.
“(My wife) thinks I have a gambling problem,” he joked. “I told her I have a promotion problem. So it’s not gambling. It’s promotion. It’s trying to bring people in the store. You have a reason to come in here and have fun and buy furniture and cheer hard on Super Bowl Sunday for the Cincinnati Bengals.”
Despite having a literal fortune on the line, Mack said he doesn’t plan on watching the game. He spends it on the treadmill.
“I don’t watch football games,” he said. “Normally I work out during the game because I can’t affect it either way. I just look at the final score and if it’s a plus, that’s great.”
Mack also made headlines during Tropical Storm Imelda in 2019 when he opened up his store to flood victims in Texas. He even used company trucks to rescue people stranded in Houston.
According to the Washington Post, about 120 people came into his store for shelter and rest.