A Starkville native who built a furniture empire in Texas has placed an enormous bet that his adopted hometown Houston Astros will win the World Series – and he came home to Mississippi to place the bet.

The Scarlet Pearl Casino in D’Iberville announced a historic bet as Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale placed a $3.5 million wager Tuesday.

McIngvale’s bet at DraftKings at Scarlet Pearl’s Sportsbook was the biggest known wager — and legal – bet ever placed in Mississippi.

McIngvale is a businessman who lives in Houston. He owns the Gallery Furniture retail company. He’s believed to be a multi-millionaire and is known in the Houston area for his generosity and philanthropy.