Summary
- The win occurred at the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino.
- An alert of the win did not occur due to a machine communications error.
- An investigation helped identify the winner via the transportation authority.
Imagine winning a huge progressive jackpot at a casino but having no idea you actually won a prize. That is exactly what happened to Robert Taylor of Arizona. He was visiting Las Vegas back in January when he won a progressive jackpot, but the game did not alert him of the win. Taylor ended up going back home to Arizona, only to be alerted this month by the Nevada Gaming Control Board of the win after they managed to track him down.
Details of the Missed Win
On January 8, Taylor was visiting Las Vegas when he played a progressive slot game at the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino. He won the $229,368.52 prize but a communication error occurred, and the slot machine did not alert Taylor or the casino staff of the win.
Later on, the slot machine was reviewed, and communications technology completed, revealing that the big jackpot had been won. After the win was realized, officials then had to figure out who the winner was. Several attempts were made to try and figure out the identity of the player, to no avail.
An extensive investigation was then started by the Nevada Gaming Control Board to figure out who the player was. Hours of surveillance footage were reviewed across several properties along with witness interviews. Electronic purchase records were reviewed along with rideshare data.
Eventually, the player was found and is said to be collecting the prize money this coming weekend.
Exhaustive Search Effort
The Nevada Gaming Control Board went to great lengths to find the lucky winner, which may seem surprising to some. In a statement, the Board said that it is in charge of strict regulation within the gaming industry and protecting the public that take part in the industry.
Chief of the Enforcement Division for the Board, James Taylor, commended the agents of the division, in particular Agent Dan Nuqui, for their efforts in ensuring the public trust and finding the patron to give out the prize that was rightfully his. Nuqui also thanked the Nevada Transportation Authority for assisting in the matter and helping to confirm the patron’s identity.
It is astounding really to see the amount of effort that went into finding the winner. Usually, stories that involve the malfunctioning of a slot machine include the patron seeing the win and then being alerted that it did not occur due to an issue with the game. In this instance, the lucky player actually won and had no idea. It’s nice to see a happy ending to the story and know that Nevada gaming officials are ready to work hard to ensure patrons of the local gambling facilities are treated fairly.
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