Published: May 02, 2012

Letter Carrier Wins Tesla Roadster Playing the Slots in Las Vegas

Most people leave Vegas with a hole in their pocket; this lucky punter managed to scoop an $150,000 Tesla Roadster playing the penny slots.

For over a year a Tesla Roadster was sitting atop a row of one-armed bandits at the Cosmopolitan hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip; put there to lure gamblers into the new hotel who had the chance to win the pure electric sports car by hitting the top jackpot on any of the machines. According to Wheels, Mary Ellen Cobb, a letter carrier from West Nyack, New York, was in Vegas for less than 24 hours before she wandered into the hotel and struck gold.

Letter Carrier Wins Tesla Roadster Playing the Slots in Las Vegas

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Having pulled the handle on a penny slot machine the dials aligned before "all the other machines went black, and then these guys in suits came over and gave me their business cards. I didn't totally believe it was real until they gave me the W2-G income tax forms to sign." The car was then carefully removed and prepared for shipment cross country. It currently resides in a garage near Ms. Cobb's home, and although she would like to keep the $150,000 car, a potentially hefty tax bill awaits given it's seen as taxable income. On enquiring about a cash alternative she was met with a quick rebuke.

"I have driven it, though I had to take the top off for that," she said. "I'm a big woman." If she decides living with the Tesla Roadster becomes too much of a burden, we hope finding a buyer won't be a problem.