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A beloved Japanese poker player has gone missing in Las Vegas and authorities remain baffled as the story is now receiving national attention.
Yuto Moriyasu was slated to play in the $10,000 World Series of Poker main event but failed to show up.
“The individual is not considered endangered at this time,” a police spokesperson said.
According to a Metro Police report, 27-year-old Yuto Moriyasu came to Las Vegas at the end of May. He was staying at a short-term rental with Nobuaki Sasaki, who FOX5 interviewed through a translator.
“This is Yuto’s first time in Las Vegas, first time out of his country, into the US, and he was enjoying himself. He really enjoyed gambling, and he had a really good time playing at the tables,” Sasaki said.
Sasaki said throughout the summer, Moriyasu played games with smaller buy-ins, sharpening his teeth for the Main Event on July 2.
That’s the day he was last seen, when he dropped Sasaki off at the Horseshoe Casino at 11 a.m., according to a police report.
“Yuto and I are in constant communication all the time, daily, and then all of a sudden the communication stopped,” Sasaki said.
Sasaki said the last time he heard from his friend was via text message, just before 1 p.m.. Moriyasu texted that he just got home, and would head over to the casino shortly, but he never showed up.
Later in the day, Sasaki said he returned to their short-term rental to find their shared car parked in the driveway, a kitchen knife on the living room chair, and Moriyasu’s wallet, Japanese ID, shoes, and cell phone.
- Ace King, Gambling911.com
