Man Had No Clue He Won $229K at Las Vegas Slot Machine Until Investigators Tracked Him Down
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Officials in Nevada went on an extensive search to right a wrong after a slot machine failed to alert a man to his six-figure jackpot win.
According to the Nevada Gaming Patrol Board, Arizona resident Robert Taylor was visiting Treasure Island Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Jan. 8 when the slot machine he was using malfunctioned just as he won a $229,368.52 jackpot.
Because of the malfunction, which the board called a "communication error," Taylor and casino workers had no idea he had won.
"By the time an extensive review of the slot machine and the communications technology was completed, confirming the jackpot had been won, Mr. Taylor had returned home to Arizona," the organization said in a statement released last week.
The board then launched an extensive investigation with their Enforcement Division to discover Taylor's identity. They studied hours of surveillance camera video and spoke to witnesses who were in the casino at the time.
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Officials also obtained data from a ridesharing company, which ultimately helped lead them to Taylor.
James Taylor, chief of the board's Enforcement Division, said the efforts to find the winner following the malfunction were important to the "public trust" of the gambling industry in Las Vegas.
"The Nevada Gaming Control Board is charged with the strict regulation of the gaming industry, the protection of the gaming public, and ensuring that the industry benefits the State of Nevada," Taylor said. "I commend the agents of the Enforcement Division, particularly Agent Dan Nuqui, for ensuring that the public trust in the gaming industry remains strong by spending countless hours over two weeks to ensure that a patron is awarded winnings owed to him."
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"I'd also like to thank the Nevada Transportation Authority for their assistance in confirming the identity of the patron," he continued. "This has been a great example of government working together for the benefit of the public."
According to the board, Taylor was officially notified of his six-figure win on Jan. 28 and planned to collect his money last weekend at Treasure Island.
