This is a story that’s certainly going to be talked about for a while. Imagine traveling to Sin City, playing the machines and then returning home after thinking you didn’t win big. Then three weeks later, you get a life-changing call? That’s what happened, as a Las Vegas tourist won $229,000 without knowing and then was contacted down the road after a thorough organization went down to try and find him.
According to multiple local reports, Robert Taylor made his way from Arizona to Las Vegas and decided to play the slot machines at the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino located on the strip. After playing for a while, Taylor decided to move on. However, he indeed hit the jackpot, but due to an error with the machine, he wasn’t notified right away and left before he could realize he had just won more than $200,000.
Because of the malfunction, it took a little while for everyone to realize what was going on. By that point, though, Taylor had already left the casino floor and then he made his way back to Arizona shortly after. Fortunately, the team over at Treasure Island Hotel & Casino was able to conduct its investigation and then not only determine that Taylor was the winner, but also find him and make sure that he was notified that he was the winner of the jackpot.
“I commend the agents of the enforcement division for ensuring that the public trust in the gaming industry remains strong by spending countless hours to ensure that a patron is awarded winnings owed to him,” chief of enforcement James Taylor said. “I’d also like to thank the Nevada Transportation Authority for their assistance in confirming the identity of the patron. This has been a great example of government working together for the benefit of the public.”
It goes without saying, but Las Vegas investigators saved the day for the unknowing jackpot winner in this case. If you take a look at social media, people really can’t believe that the group of investigators were able to work together for more than two weeks to figure out it was Taylor who was playing the slots. This could have been a story where the casino just gave up on things and let things slide without trying to track down Taylor.
Think about it, Taylor had no idea that he had won the jackpot. To him, winning $229,000 wasn’t even on his mind before this all happened. In his head, he just went to Las Vegas for a vacation from his home in Arizona and decided to try his luck at the casino. After not hitting it big in the slots, Taylor figured, fine, no big deal, and then he made his way back home without even worrying about a thing.
Yet, as soon as the group over at Treasure Island realized that this happened, they knew that something needed to be done. Now, Taylor is all set to return to Las Vegas soon so he can pick up his money. A lot of people were wondering if the casino would just make a bank transfer or something, but that’s not how things work in this case. He’ll need to make his way back to Vegas to complete the transaction.
“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 in more detail when thanking the investigative team for all of their efforts to track down Taylor.
While Taylor is excited about his big winnings, it’s also good to remember that Las Vegas is bracing for a monster Super Bowl weekend on the way. The Bengals and Rams are ready to face off, with a lot of money coming in on Los Angeles. The Rams are the favorites, as they currently hold much better Super Bowl odds. Multiple different Las Vegas online betting sites have them as 4-point favorites for the big game.
As you might have been able to guess, the Las Vegas casinos are expecting countless bets to be made this weekend. People love checking out Super Bowl prop bets and placing wagers. It’s what makes the big game on Sunday that much more enjoyable. Millions of dollars have already been dropped for the Super Bowl and more is on the way. This weekend could see record numbers as well.
The Rams could end up winning thanks to the strong arm of Matthew Stafford, while the Cincinnati Bengals will hope to pull off an upset behind the brilliant play of Joe Burrow. For Taylor, who’s $229,000 richer, he could end up deciding to bet on the Super Bowl as well. Hey, if he has to head back to Las Vegas to collect his winnings, doing so this weekend sure would be the right time to do it.
