Call it a “Mattress tax.”
The first revenue report affected by payouts Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale received as part of his historic $75 million win on Houston Astros futures bets came from Iowa, where the state’s Racing and Gaming Commission reported $5.8 million in sports wagering revenue for November.
The sportsbooks’ revenue total was overshadowed by the combined $10 million in payouts Betfred and Unibet made to McIngvale. He placed $1 million wagers with each in July on the Astros to win the World Series at +500, and he collected after Houston claimed the title Nov. 5 with a 4-1 victory in Game 6.
Iowa’s revenue total was its lowest since operators claimed $5.7 million in September 2021, and November’s figure was the third lowest in 40 months of accepting wagers.