Posted on 04/22/2006 10:03:57 PM PDT by STARWISE
An 84-year-old South Jersey woman hits the nickel slots for $10 million.
By Troy Graham Inquirer Staff Writer
One happy grandmother, Josephine Crawford of Galloway Twp. talks to reporters after her record win at Harrah's Atlantic City.
One happy grandmother, Josephine Crawford of Galloway Twp. talks to reporters after her record win at Harrah's Atlantic City.
Down to her last credits on a nickel slot machine, an 84-year-old retired waitress hit for an improbable sum of money Tuesday night.
$10,010,113.48.
The largest jackpot ever in Atlantic City.
The largest jackpot ever on a nickel slot machine, nationwide.
And certainly the largest jackpot ever won by Josephine Crawford, a great-grandmother from Galloway Township, Atlantic County, who has been gambling in Atlantic City since the first casinos opened in 1978.
"Somehow, I'll spend it," she said at a news conference yesterday. "I'm just happy I won it, for my family, although they don't need it."
Crawford has 21 days to decide whether to take the money in a 25-year annuity or in a lump sum of more than $5.5 million after taxes.
She won her prize at Harrah's Atlantic City during an overnight stay with her granddaughter, Alicia Weeks.
After playing the Jeopardy! slots Tuesday night, Crawford decided to head up to her room. Her granddaughter noticed the $10 million prize offered on the Megabucks nickel slots as they were leaving the casino.
Crawford usually ignores the nickel slots, so her granddaughter had to talk her into playing.
The Megabucks system links hundreds of slots across Atlantic City's 12 casinos. A portion of each bet goes toward a MegaJackpot that starts at $1 million. No one had hit the jackpot in more than three years.
"It really runs like a lottery system," said George Cortesini, a spokesman for the slot manufacturer, International Game Technology. "The longer it goes, the bigger the jackpot gets."
The previous record for an Atlantic City jackpot - more than $8.5 million - was won in 1994 by a Long Island doctor at the Grand Casino Resort, which later became the Hilton.
Crawford plunked $40 into Megabucks. She hit on her last $5 worth of credits, and was soon photographed holding the enormous ceremonial check, with the enormous sum scribbled in.
Crawford, a widow who retired in 1992, said she might take her family to Italy, where her parents were born.
News of her win spread fast, she said, and she quickly got three marriage proposals.
"Their wives were there, too," she said. "One of them said, 'You can have him.' "
Your gif kind of resembles the lady.
I hope her good fortune only brings her good fortune.
I do too, Hope that she is able to manage it and keep the wolves away. So many of these big winners end up broke!
ROTFLOL!
You may not be posting much,
but you are posting GOOD!
I love that!
It's very good to see you. ;o)
Good to see you out and about DC. That was just a little gif I had saved but I'll ping you to any good ones.
Thank you! ;o)
To be very honest with you, I don't like to go to Vegas.
They have done away with the family friendly attitude,
and have reverted to the sleazy atmosphere of before.
The only use Las Vegas has to me is that it has a NASCAR track. ;o)
[NASCAR track] Ya, I know you like that!! We haven't gone to Vegas in several years now. We have a gambling boat down in South Texas that we can go to.
They have to go out so many miles and stay there for 5 hours, then come back in. You get a really nice buffet lunch and free drinks for the initial fee.
I dislike people being preachy about gambling when many ministers DO go to those places.
That's the way it used to be in MS.
The ships went into international waters
so that folks could gamble........legally.
Then, after laws were reviewed and changed,
the boats were allowed to "float" just offshore.
But, now there are Indian Casinos on land, and
the legislature has allowed the big casinos to
build on land, as well.
That probably has something to do with those
floating casinos ending up way inland, and on
top of other buildings, after Katrina. ;o)
It's been SO good to "see" you.
I'm off to bed.
Take care of you and yours.
Nitey nite!
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