Gala Bingo players were left devastated after being told that winnings of up to thousands of pounds credited to their accounts did not exist due to a technical error. Some had already withdrawn the money before being notified of the mistake.
The glitch occurred during the Summer Nights Bingo promotion, which normally costs 1p a ticket with a maximum prize pot of £150. However, a technical fault inflated the prize pot, leading to players being credited with a share of more than £1.6 million over two hours.
Emma Wills, a 34-year-old mother of three from London, was mistakenly credited £920. She said: "I was shocked, I was thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I can take the kids out somewhere nice while they’re with me for the holidays, I can pay off a few of my debts…’ and obviously that quickly went out the window." Technician Adam Wall, 45, from north Wales, believed he had won £7,200 and began planning his wedding.
Affected players later received a message stating: "Unfortunately, due to a technical error on Monday 4 August, your account was incorrectly credited with Bingo winnings." Over 170 people have joined a Facebook group called "Justice for Gala Victims" to share their experiences and screenshots of apparent winnings.
A Gala Bingo spokesperson said: "We apologise to customers for a technical error… resulting in all players receiving incorrect payouts. Our customer terms and conditions clearly state that in the event of a malfunction, winnings can be voided. Affected players have been contacted directly with a gesture of goodwill." Some customers received £20 compensation. Gala Bingo has informed the Gambling Commission of the incident.
