A bloke from Arizona who unknowingly won a whopping $229,368 (£169,157) jackpot in Las Vegas has been reunited with his winnings.
Robert Taylor hit the jackpot at the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino back on 8 January, but thanks to a software malfunction neither he nor staff at the casino were aware of his big win when it happened.
And by the time staff at the casino were made aware of his windfall, Taylor had gone back home to Arizona meaning the Nevada Gaming Control Board were then tasked with tracking him down and handing over the cash.
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The board kicked off a thorough investigation, including trawling through CCTV footage across numerous casinos and speaking to witnesses.
Leaving no stone unturned, they also looked at his electronic purchase records and rideshare data obtained by the Nevada Transportation Authority, according to the Daily Mail.
Incredibly, they managed to track him down and told Taylor of his good fortune on 28 January. Last weekend, he finally collected his winnings - around about a month after his win.
Chief of the board's enforcement division, James Taylor, who is not related to Robert, said: “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.
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“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.
“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.”
Had the team been unable to locate Taylor, the prize would have gone unclaimed until a new winner hit the jackpot.
Speaking to the Washington Post, James Taylor said: “There’s never been anything like this before, and that’s why it’s so exciting to have a great conclusion to this story.”
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A spokesperson from Treasure Island told the news outlet: “We are thrilled that our jackpot winner was found by the Nevada Gaming Control Board and we are happy to have awarded him his winnings on Saturday.”
Claire Reid