(AsiaGameHub) – A technical fault in a William Hill online slot has been linked to a player suffering a heart attack. John Riding, aged 76, experienced cardiac arrest shortly after finding that his £285,000 ($376,000) winnings had vanished from his account.
The error took place on the Jackpot Drop game last month. During that time, the platform distributed 35,072 jackpots, a significant increase from the 518 awarded during the same period the week before. Some users, like Riding, saw their balances credited with six-figure amounts.
After celebrating the win at a local William Hill branch and telling his family, Riding was notified by the operator that the funds were issued by mistake.
In a statement, the company explained, “A routine check of our platform’s activity revealed a glitch with the Jackpot Drop game, which caused incorrect amounts to be temporarily added to player accounts and led to errors in withdrawal processing.”
Stress and Disappointment Linked to Health Decline
“I was completely crushed. It felt as though my dreams were destroyed,” Riding remarked to the Mirror. “I wasn’t officially told it was a mistake, just that a ‘manual adjustment’ occurred. While the £285,000 is gone from my balance, the system still claims I am £285,000 ahead this month.”
According to his family, Riding was in good health until he became stressed while trying to access and withdraw his funds.
“The shock has been impossible to handle,” his son, Adam, stated. “It isn’t just the money; it’s the treatment. It feels like a major injustice, and the resulting stress has taken a toll on his health.”
His daughter added that her father expressed an inability to cope with the pressure. “I attribute the heart attack to the stress. We all do!”
A spokesperson for William Hill commented, “We are saddened to hear about Mr. Riding’s health issues and hope for his quick recovery.”
Potential Group Legal Action
The betting firm is now facing potential litigation. Paul Kanolik from Ellis Jones solicitors noted that about 50 affected individuals have reached out regarding a possible group lawsuit.
The firm is encouraging other impacted users to contact them. Their website states, “At Ellis Jones, our legal team specializes in gambling claims, frequently assisting clients in recovering funds lost due to operator errors.”
Last year, a similar legal battle was won against Paddy Power. The operator tried to cancel Corrine Durber’s £1 million ($1.3 million) win by claiming a system glitch.
Following a five-year dispute, she was awarded the full sum. The judge noted, “It seems unreasonable for a trader to shift all the risk onto the consumer for its own negligence, errors, or poor digital testing.”
Ellis Jones also highlighted the Andrew Green v Petfre case involving Betfred. Green won £1.7 million ($2.25 million) because of a technical error and was eventually paid after a judge found Betfred’s terms too ambiguous to deny the claim.
With approximately 35,000 jackpots affected, William Hill is seeking cooperation from its users.
“We have reached out to the customers involved to explain the situation and are recovering the funds according to our terms. We appreciate our customers’ patience and apologize for the trouble,” the firm stated.
William Hill’s future remains uncertain as its parent firm, Evoke, conducts a strategic review that could result in the split of the group, which also owns 888.
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