One of America’s most well-loved high-rollers, and the winner of the country’s largest one-time sports betting payout, is headed for the big screen.
The story of Jim “Matress Mack” McIngvale, who regularly wagers seven and eight figures on sports events, is in the works in Hollywood.
Key Takeaways
- McIngvale won a record $72.6 million when the Astros won the 2022 World Series.
- The well-known gambler offered Gallery Furniture customers their money back if Texas won the last CFP.
- Filming for the movie has already concluded.
Set in the early 1980s and 2000s in McIngvale’s home of Houston, Texas, the movie will tell the story of how a furniture salesman became one of the most prominent names in the gambling industry.
Beyond his professional endeavors, the movie will also examine McIngvale’s relationship with his wife, Linda, and his youngest daughter, Elizabeth, who suffered from a crippling case of obsessive-compulsive disorder, Deadline reported.
“It’s about my life and the rags to riches and all that good stuff,” McIngvale, 74, said to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “And it’s also about a father-daughter story about how Linda and myself helped rescue our daughter from suicidal thoughts and suicidal actions because of her severe OCD, and now she’s one of the premier OCD clinicians in the world.”
According to Deadline, Billy Magnussen, known for his roles in Lilo and Stitch and the James Bond film No Time to Die, will play McIngvale. Dianna Agron, Darby Lee-Stack, and Rob Corddry will play supporting roles in the film.
Houston native Shane Andries will be the director of the film, which is based on a screenplay he wrote after he met McIngvale’s daughter.
“He said he wanted to do a movie about me. I said that’s fine,” McIngvale said. “Liz and Linda read the script, and they said the script was good, and then we told the guy to go raise the money, thinking he’d never get it raised. But he raised all the money, so here it goes.”
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Big bets and a big impact
McIngvale regularly supports Houston and Texas-based teams with large futures bets. He’s best known to the sports betting world for cashing out $72.6 million when the Houston Astros won the 2022 World Series.
He’s also had his share of huge losses. He lost $2 million betting on Texas in last year’s College Football Playoff and $1 million backing Houston to win March Madness 2025.
McIngvale said he did not know if his sports betting adventures would be featured in the upcoming film.
Aside from being a prolific gambler, "Mattress Mack” is a prominent member in Houston’s community. He has opened the doors of his Gallery Furniture store to locals during natural disasters, such as floods and hurricanes, and donated tens of millions to local efforts and organizations.
He also offers special discounts associated with the outcomes of local sporting events. For example, he promised full refunds to customers who spent at least $4,000 if Texas won the CFP last winter.
“I’m just worried about selling furniture and doing some gambling,” McIngvale said after admitting he hadn’t seen any of the filming footage, which is now complete, or met the actor playing him. “I’m oblivious to the whole thing.”
The movie is in the editing process and is expected to be released in 2026.
Will Texas win big for McIngvale?
With the college football season drawing near the end of its regular season, McIngvale said he is considering running another Texas-related promotion for the College Football Playoff. He’s high on his state’s chances to make a splash since it’s been a strong year for several Texas schools.
“I played football for two years at the University of Texas and I played for two years at North Texas,” he said. “Texas A&M’s going to get in, Texas Tech will probably get in, and North Texas may get in and (Texas) may get in, so we may have four teams.”
According to FanDuel sportsbook, Texas A&M has the best chance of all Texas schools with +750 National Championship odds, the third-shortest on the board. Texas Tech is at +1200 (seventh), North Texas is at +75000 (17th), and Texas is +100000 (t-20th).
