Published: February 4, 2022, 5:17 pm.
Last updated on: February 4, 2022, 5:29 pm.
Arizona resident Robert Taylor will get his legitimate winnings of $229,368.52 at Treasure Island Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas this weekend. He won money on a progressive slot machine in the gaming estate on January 8th. But an error in the machine prevented anyone from finding out.
A malfunction of “communication” prevented the player and staff from achieving the winning strike at that time. Later, the grand prize was discovered and confirmed. But the name of the winner remained a mystery.
The Treasure Island staff made several efforts to identify the player. But apparently, they could not recognize or reach the tourist.
Video, logs, checked data
Then, the Nevada Game Control Board (NGCB) Enforcement Division agents conducted their own investigation. They watched several hours of surveillance video from Treasure Island and other gaming properties. They also interviewed potential witnesses and reviewed their statements.
In addition, they sorted through online purchase records, displaying data from the Nevada Transportation Authority (NTA), as well as records from an unnamed flight-sharing company.
A thorough investigation resulted in the successful identification of the sponsor as Robert Taylor,” a statement from the NGCB released on Friday revealed.
At around 12:30 on January 28, Taylor was officially notified of the grand prize.
He is expected to travel back to Las Vegas from Arizona this weekend to collect the winning check. Treasure Island staff are eager to see it.
We are pleased that the grand prize winner has been found by the Nevada Games Control Panel and look forward to giving him his winnings.” Treasure Island said in a statement released Friday to Casino.org.
NGCB is also proud that the investigation resulted in Taylor receiving the right grand prize.
“The Nevada Game Controller Board is tasked with rigorously regulating the game industry, protecting the gaming audience, and ensuring that the industry benefits Nevada,” James Taylor, NGCB’s chief of enforcement, said on Friday’s announcement. That the player will collect money. It seems to have nothing to do with the winner.
James Taylor praised enforcement agents, in particular Agent Dan Nokoye, for “ensuring that public trust in the games industry remains strong by spending countless hours over the course of two weeks to ensure that the winnings are awarded to the beneficiary.” He also praised NTA management staff for their assistance in the investigation. Nokoi is a board member of the Nevada Law Enforcement Officers Association.
Previous errors in the hole
Slot machines have taken a break from other gaming features in recent years. For example, in an unrelated incident, in 2020, a gambler at a Newcastle casino in Oklahoma was told that a machine malfunction was behind his nearly $8.5 million jackpot.
Maribel Sanchez was reportedly betting $1.25 when she won the jackpot of $8,469,498.95. In an interview with KOKH, a local television station, Linda Sanchez, daughter of Maribel, said that after her mother won the jackpot, the device she was using was shut down. The report adds that the potential winner consulted a lawyer. The claim was under review, but it is not known if a solution has been found.
Earlier, in 2016, Katrina Buckman took home a grand prize in the resort world in Queens, New York, where her screen showed that she earned $42.9 million. When the New York resident went to withdraw her lucky ticket, the casino staff told her that the win was wrong, and that the slot machine was broken. They offered her a free steak dinner, $2.25. I refused their offer. She has since filed a lawsuit. It is not clear whether the dispute has been resolved.