Before sports gambling was legalized in Louisiana, Jim McIngvale usually flew to Las Vegas or New Jersey to place his bets.

McIngvale, a Houston furniture salesman better known as “Mattress Mack,” estimated he now places 99% of his wagers in Louisiana, driving five or six times a year to the Vinton Welcome Center on Interstate 10 just across the state line.

“The rest stop is my spot, baby,” McIngvale said. “As long as them alligators stay away from me, I’m good.”

The rest area offers a convenient place to gamble because online sports betting has not been legalized in Texas, pushing business to Louisiana. Some bet from their cars, while others sit in rocking chairs in the lobby that overlooks a large pond. Once, McIngvale placed a then-record $5 million Super Bowl bet from outside the men’s restroom.

Mack decided not to bet on Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans because of the 1.5-point spread between the Chiefs and the Eagles, but the game Sunday is expected to increase sports gambling across the country.

Every year, the Super Bowl is the single largest event for sports gambling in the United States. The American Gaming Association, the trade group representing the U.S. casino industry, estimated Americans will legally wager $1.39 billion on Super Bowl LIX.

Joe Maloney, the AGA’s senior vice president of strategic communications, said the Super Bowl attracts more casual and first-time bettors. Sports gambling also rises during March Madness and Week 1 of the NFL season.

“You can bet that — pun intended — the Super Bowl being here in New Orleans is certainly going to pique the interest of our citizens here in Louisiana,” said Chris Hebert, chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. “I’m sure it’s going to increase our numbers.”

This will be the third straight Super Bowl in a state with legalized sports gambling, following Arizona and Nevada. Louisiana launched legal in-person sports betting Oct. 7, 2021, and online sports gambling began three months later.

Since then, it has become a lucrative industry. Sports gambling generated $54.5 million for the state during the 2024 fiscal year, one part of $997.1 million in overall gaming revenue that was sent to the Louisiana treasury.

The numbers have exceeded initial expectations when sports gambling went into effect. Former LGCB chairman Ronnie Johns said last year sports gambling was projected to bring in $30 million per year for the state budget.

“It has really been a boon for our state’s economy,” Hebert said.

The majority of activity has taken place online because of the ease that comes with betting on one’s phone. Hebert said more than $3 billion in online sports bets were placed during the 2024 fiscal year in Louisiana, compared to $300 million in-person.

“You can go into one of the casinos and go into their sportsbook, and you’re going to see few people actually walking up to the window and placing their bets there,” Johns said. “They’ll sit there in front of the big screen TVs, enjoy the food, enjoy their drinks. But they’re doing it on their mobile devices.”

Though support for online sports gambling has recently gained traction in Texas and Mississippi, they have not legalized it yet in those states, sending people who want to place bets from their phones into Louisiana.

Once, the company that runs LGCB’s geofencing technology asked Johns why there was such a high concentration at the Texas-Louisiana border along I-10.

“Our numbers at this one location are over the charts,” Johns recalled the person saying.

“There’s a beautiful new rest stop,” Johns said.

During the 2024 NFL season, 63,000 sports wagers have been placed from 3,000 accounts at the Vinton Welcome Center, according to data provided by the geofencing company. There was a 38% increase in the number of accounts that gambled from the rest stop compared to the 2023 season.

Mack last visited the rest area in December to place a $2 million wager on Texas football winning the national championship. The Longhorns lost in the semifinals to Ohio State.

“That’s the place right there,” Mack said. “I’m a frequent flier there.”

Sports gambling is now legal in 38 states and Washington, D.C., and it could continue to spread. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently said he has no objection to the state legislature legalizing online sports betting, and Mississippi… 

Mack would rather drive a couple hours to gamble. Two weeks ago, he considered placing a $100,000 bet on a trifecta involving the Australian Open, the Washington Commanders and the Kansas City Chiefs. He would have lost the wager.

“I’d be out of control,” Mack said. “It’d be easier to do it, but it would also be more tempting.”

That is the concern with sports betting. There are now widespread advertisements for sportsbooks and gambling companies, potentially causing an addiction that can affect people’s financial and mental health.

Maloney said the AGA has initiatives in place to combat the issue, including a public service campaign about responsible betting. Some taxes generated by sports wagering are used on problem gambling services.

In Louisiana, Hebert said online sports bettors can limit the amount they wager and exclude themselves from placing bets.

“That’s something that we certainly have been very serious about,” Hebert said, “particularly since the inception of mobile sports wagering.”