After 20 Years of Nothing, Slot Machine Finally Pays!! 2.4 Million!!

[tomm2thumbs]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news for anyone making plans to trip out to Vegas to make an attempt on the "Lion's Share" slot machine that has been spinning and not-winning it's big progressive for 20 years now! The machine was the only one left of the original 50 that MGM Grand had for its opening two decades ago.

A pair of grandparents from New Hampshire have won it. Walter Misco played for about five minutes before hitting the jackpot at the 20-year-old machine at about 11 pm Friday. The 66-year-old retired businessman told reporters Saturday that his wife Linda Misco suggested he play that night.

_____

See, never be too unwilling to take someone's advice -- at least this time it worked out!





Good on them -- a nice end to a seemingly neverending story!



Full news:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/vegasdeluxe/2014/aug/23/after-20-years-lions-share-slot-machine-mgm-grand-/

.... added video.... for funzola!

[Warpy]

1. Good, they look young and healthy enough to enjoy it.

Let's hope they do instead of doing something stupid like giving it all to a church.

[exboyfil]

2. I have always wondered about

the fascination with playing with slot machines. Sure the odds are shown on the machine itself but is it really programmed to match those odds. I remember a story on a documentary like Pawn Stars (I don't think it was that show) where they opened an old mechanical slot and found that it had been altered to not pay out the highest amount. So much easier to do with software.

Same can be said for the information asymmetry associated with horse racing (also the stock market but that is a different story). You wan't to compete with the people that actually own, train, ride, and are generally around the horses in betting?

You can rig roulette wheels and dice but it would be harder for casinos to do that.

[localroger]

3. Actually, the odds aren't posted

In Nevada the odds do have to conform to certain standards, and the state gaming commission conducts spot checks to make sure the software in the machines in the field is the same that was submitted for approval.

Slot machines are basically Skinner boxes for people. The attraction is that they distribute enough random rewards to keep an expectation of more alive, even as the machine never returns as much as it takes. But that trend is only visible on a timescale of hours or days, which most people don't see.

[jwirr]

4. My s-i-l installed the slots in several casinos before he retired. None of our family gambles as the

odds are terrible. The machines can no longer be fixed but that does not make the odds any better. However, when we do go for a night of fun that is exactly why we go. FUN. The family all go together and set together. We laugh and joke and in general win a little lose a lot. We budget and never spend more than we had planned. We consider it a good thing that we are not sitting in a bar.

As to this win. Good for the couple - spend it wisely.

[tomm2thumbs]

5. A manager of a major Vegas casino I met say they call them 'pick pockets'... which says it all

hopefully your pockets aren't full of money needed for other things when you visit a casino, but they certainly are good at cleaning out the last nickel if you happen to swing through one and don't fare well.

But they can be fun. Only bit of advice I hang onto is... when it stops being fun, then stop playing.

[joshcryer]

6. Dammit, I was going to go down there this week.

I totally knew it was bound to happen too.