The Legend of the Lion’s Share Progressive Jackpot Slot Machine

The Lion’s Share three-reel slot machine at MGM Grand Las Vegas hasn’t hit the jackpot in more than 20 years. An Australian going by the name “gallopar” can be seen reminiscing with the readers of a Las Vegas Sun news article in the comments section, telling readers about his 1997 trip to Las Vegas and how he missed out on hitting the Lion’s Share slot machine jackpot by a matter of minutes. And that was the last time the jackpot was won.

“Just what does it take to win the jackpot on the Lion’s Share slot machine?” would be the question on many slot player’s minds given the length of time the jackpot hasn’t gone off. As you can imagine the Lion’s Share slot is one of the most popular slot machines at MGM Grand and there is always a queue of people waiting to get onto the machine.

So how much is the jackpot that hasn’t hit in close to two decades? It is an incredible $2.345 million jackpot and counting. With the old three reel slot machine becoming a legend of sorts, it has resulted in a lot of tourists and gamblers from all over the globe to try out their luck.

Justin Andrews, who is the director of slot operations at MGM Grand, told the Las Vegas Sun: “Lion’s Share has had a cult following for a long time. People are drawn to its history, as well as all the different theories surrounding it.”

Lots of people have many theories about how you should play the machine. Gamblers, being the superstitious people they are, like to play the slots in a certain way. Some players have been seen using their feet to play the machine, others like to rub the side of the slot, either quickly or slowly, depending on what has worked best for them in the past.

Some slot machine players have been seen to be playing this slot for several hours without taking a break, and if they were to keep up with their superstitious rituals it must get tiring. But if they were to go on a break they would no doubt never be able to forgive themselves if they did exactly that and another player jumped onto the machine and hit the jackpot.

The MGM Grand had a bank of more than 50 lions share slot machines at the time of the casino's opening more than two decades ago. The Lion’s Share slot machine is the only slot machine to still appear on the casino’s floor of the original machines. While the first MGM Grand slot machines have paid out their progressive jackpots over the years and been replaced with newer games, the Lion Share is still available to play, and until the jackpot hits, you would have to think the slot machine will be a mainstay of the MGM Grand Casino, being the being the major attraction that it is.

Incredibly, there is so much hype surrounding the Lion’s Share progressive jackpot that it even has its own facebook page, providing a great way for avid gamblers to keep up to date on the size of the jackpot as well as other information pertinent to Las Vegas casinos and other things happening in Las Vegas.