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LAS VEGAS — A tourist in Las Vegas hit the jackpot on a slot machine last month, but he was never informed due to a malfunction in the machine, according to gaming officials.
Now after an exhaustive search, the Nevada Gaming Control Board says they have identified the winner of the nearly $230,000 prize.
On Jan. 8, a man, later identified by officials as Robert Taylor, played a slot machine at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino. Due to a communications error, according to gaming officials, the slot machine malfunctioned and didn't notify Taylor or casino personnel that he was a winner.
By the time the error was noticed, casino personnel were unable to identify the man, who was from out of state. The gaming board took on an exhaustive search to make sure the man would be awarded his prize.
To identify the winner, gaming officials combed through hours of surveillance videos from several casinos, interviewed witnesses, shifted through electronic purchase records and even analyzed rideshare data provided by the Nevada Transportation Authority and a rideshare company, according to a news release.
The jackpot winner was determined to be Taylor, a tourist from Arizona.
"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," said James Taylor, chief of the board's enforcement division.
"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," Taylor said.
Robert Taylor was already back home when he was notified of his winnings last week, according to the release. Gaming officials said that he will return to Vegas to collect his overdue prize.
