A woman from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, has been ordered to repay £33,000 she won on a William Hill online casino game, after the company said the payout was due to a technical glitch. Gemma Bradley, 47, had initially celebrated the £47,182 jackpot, planning to pay off her mortgage, but her joy turned to distress when the bookmaker contacted her the next day demanding the money back.
Bradley, a care assistant, withdrew the maximum £33,000 via debit card on the day of the win, intending to collect the remainder later. However, she found her account locked and received a call from William Hill explaining that an error had occurred. 'They said it was an issue at their end so I’d have to pay it back and that I wouldn’t be able to withdraw the rest of the funds,' she said.
The glitch, which occurred on Monday 16 March over a 40-minute period, affected the Jackpot Drop game. An internal incident report revealed 35,072 jackpot 'hits' during the glitch, compared to just 518 in the same period the previous week. William Hill is reportedly negotiating with tens of thousands of customers who received 'incorrect payouts'.
Many affected players took to social media to report that their accounts had been frozen and winnings of up to £200,000 had been removed. Some were offered 'settlement agreements' providing 11% of the erroneous winnings if they returned the money within three days, but several have chosen to dispute the issue.
Bradley, who lives with her 69-year-old mother, said the experience has left her 'absolutely gutted' and unable to sleep. She is now seeking help from gambling adjudicators. William Hill’s terms and conditions allow the company to withhold or reclaim winnings in cases of technical error. A spokesperson said the company had contacted affected customers to clarify the error and arrange the return of funds in line with standard terms.
