$2.4M MGM slot jackpot hits after years unclaimed

Las Vegas, NV (KVVU) -- Its multi-figure, progressive jackpot was only surpassed by the number of days the big prize didn't hit. But, on Friday, the legendary Lion's Share slot machine at MGM Grand hotel-casino finally hit at $2.4 million.

 

The Las Vegas Strip property said New Hampshire couple Walter and Linda Misco hit the million-dollar prize at 11 p.m. The 66-year-old Walter Misco put $100 into the machine and played the $3 max bet for about five minutes before hitting the winning combination.

 

According to MGM, the machine remained the oldest reel machine on the casino's floor, withholding its progressive prize from players for nearly two decades. In fact, the machine was the only one of 50 custom-made machines from the 1990s to remain on the floor due to the jackpot going unclaimed.

 

National media helped place the machine under cult status for gaming enthusiasts with a fan following built on Facebook and the internet. Citing a Wall Street Journal report, MGM said long lines of people formed at the machine for those hoping to be lucky enough to hit the dollars the machine held.