Long lines formed at Las Vegas casinos that need to pay out $1.6 million in winnings before they close next week, as thousands flocked to the iconic Strip establishment in the hopes of winning big money.
The Mirage, which filled nearly all of its available slot machines on the second day of a six-day progressive cash giveaway, is closing its doors on July 17 after more than 30 years in business.
Demand has soared after casinos shut down half their slot machines, but customers are also growing impatient, he said. Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Chrissy Carter of Texas came to the Mirage hoping to see green, but ended up seeing red.
“But it was a really frustrating experience,” she told the paper as she waited at least two hours for a spot to become available.
She even tried to get security to kick out a woman who was sitting at a slot machine but not playing, and in response, the woman began scrolling through the screen to make it look like she was trying to play, according to the newspaper.
“Everyone has a right to play,” she lamented, “but it’s frustrating when some people put just a dollar in the machine and then don’t actually play.”
Professional sports bettor Bill Krackonberger posted a video of a packed casino on Wednesday, calling it “total pandemonium.”
“Every slot machine is full, whether it’s $100, $500 or five cents a spin,” he said in a video showing a crowd hoping to win.
Under Nevada law, casinos must distribute huge unclaimed progressive jackpot winnings from both slot machines and table games before closing.
Mirage will be offering a $200,000 guaranteed prize Tuesday through Thursday of this week, increasing the purse to $250,000 on Friday and Saturday, then dropping to $100,000 next Tuesday.
Drawings will take place every 30 minutes from 3pm to 7pm.
Table game player Nate Rose said he normally avoids slots because the odds are often against him, but he decided to give it a try on Wednesday.
“I’m here to win,” Rose told the Las Vegas Review-Journal while holding a bag of money. “If you’re going to win money, you can’t be passive. You’ve got to be prepared to win. I’m definitely going to walk away with some money.”
