GALA Bingo players have been left devastated after winning big – only for the company to refuse to payout due to a “technical glitch”.
More than 1,200 players played for over £1.6 million on Tuesday night, with many winning up to £20,000 thinking their “lucky day had finally come”.
4
4
4
But representatives for the firm informed the winners that the game had “malfunctioned”, meaning they could not access their winnings.
Pensioner Jill Douthwaite, 72, who won £2,700 on the online game, said a live chat agent confirmed the money won was genuine.
For Jill, who lives “hand to mouth”, the money would have meant her dog got the eye operation it needed.
But she was ultimately left disappointed when she was told the money would not be coming through.
She told The Sun: “I was so relieved when I won because I thought I could spend £500 to save my dog’s eyesight.
“We’re a family who can’t afford to go on holidays and we’ve been struck with a lot of bad luck in the past too.
“My daughter even phoned her dad to say she could repay his loan for the car, but then she had to go back on her word because Gala Bingo did.”
Fiona Ure, from Scotland, missed out on £9.6k because of the technical glitch.
The 58-year-old told The Sun: “I did think, at first, this was too good to be true.
“But I was reassured by their very own chat agent.”
Ure, who is unemployed due to disabilities, said she felt “deflated” and had “zero hope” that the gambling giant will “right their wrongs”.
She added: “I think they won’t do anything.
“They’ve issued this technical error, and I feel like that’s them admitting they won’t be sending the money out.
“I’ve been a loyal customer for 15 years, but don’t think I’ll ever bet with them again.”
Gala Bingo sent a message to customers informing them they would not receive their winnings, but would be refunded what they spent on Bingo Tickets.
The firm says the technical glitch happened on Monday night, causing chaos for around two hours.
It has contacted the Gambling Commission over the incident.
A Gala Bingo spokesperson said: “We apologise to customers for a technical error which occurred during our Summer Nights Bingo promotion for a short period of time, 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.”
4
