The tragic MGM Grand Hotel fire of November 21, 1980, claimed 87 lives, but contrary to popular belief, no victims died because they refused to leave slot machines.

This misconception originated from a Washington Post article that incorrectly reported two victims were found "frozen in their tracks" near slot machines. However, the Clark County Fire Department's official report confirms that none of the 17 bodies found on the first floor were in the casino area.

The real cause was corporate negligence. MGM's owner Kirk Kerkorian and chairman Fred Benninger rejected installing automatic sprinklers to save $192,000 on the $106 million construction. They received an exemption from Clark County Building Department director John Pisciotta because the casino operated 24/7.

According to National Fire Protection Association investigator David Demers, proper sprinklers would have contained the fire to "a one- or two-sprinkler fire."

The aftermath led to:

• Mandatory sprinkler systems in all hotels
• $223 million in legal settlements
• Property sale to Bally Manufacturing in 1986
• Rebranding to Horseshoe last year

The current MGM Grand, opened in 1993, sits at a different location one mile south of the original site, which wasn't demolished as another myth suggests.

Captain Jon Sabol, the last active firefighter from the incident, confirmed: "Nobody died at a gaming table or slot machine. They were slow in getting out, but everyone got away from the tables and slot machines before the fireball came through."

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