A woman has been left 'absolutely gutted' after William Hill demanded the return of £33,000 she believed she had won on an online casino game. Gemma Bradley, 47, from Wakefield, Yorkshire, was among thousands of customers affected by a technical fault that caused 'incorrect payouts' during a 40-minute window on 16 March.
Bradley, a care assistant, had been 'crying with happiness' and planned to pay off her mortgage after thinking she had won big on William Hill's Jackpot Drop game. She transferred £33,000 of the £47,182 winnings into her bank account, but her joy was short-lived when the firm contacted her the following day alleging a technical problem.
William Hill stated that during a routine review, they identified an issue affecting the Jackpot Drop game which resulted in incorrect sums being credited to players' balances. The company said they had contacted relevant customers to clarify the error and organise the return of funds in line with their terms and conditions.
An incident report reportedly showed 35,072 jackpot 'hits' during the malfunction, compared to 518 over the equivalent period a week earlier. Some players claimed their 'winnings' of up to £200,000 had been wiped out, with many finding their accounts frozen shortly after celebrating.
Bradley, who now seeks assistance from gambling adjudicators, said she was 'absolutely gutted' and hasn't been sleeping properly. She maintains the glitch was 'not my fault' but says she is prepared to repay the money if required. William Hill's terms state they are entitled to withhold winnings or request their return in the event of technical errors.
