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Edinburgh Live
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Couple 'devastated' after being told huge £18,000 Gala Bingo win was an 'error'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A couple were left utterly "devastated" after their near £18,000 win on Gala Bingo turned out to be a technical glitch, resulting in their winnings being voided. Sarah Nicole Thurgood, 49, and her husband Mark, 56, believed they had hit the jackpot with a "life-changing" sum during an online bingo game on Monday. But their joy was short-lived as their accounts were suspended within hours, their balances cleared, and they were told the significant wins were erroneous. The couple, from Chichester, West Sussex, were among numerous players who thought they had won big, only to have their dreams dashed due to a technical mishap. Sarah, who is employed at an art gallery, recounted: "The money would have changed our lives dramatically. It's a total c**k-up on their behalf. They have messed with a lot of people's minds. I just don't see how they can get away with it." On Monday at 7pm, Sarah entered the Bargain Room on Gala Bingo and quickly, both she and Mark won £40 each. Their winnings escalated to £200 victories before soaring even higher. "I didn't really think too much of that, I just thought we had got lucky," Sarah admitted, reports the Mirror. (Image: Sarah Nicole Thurgood/SWNS) She described the experience as somewhat surreal, especially since they had never won such a large amount before, with Mark's previous top win being £70. Mark began his foray into Gala Bingo in April 2024, and Sarah joined the fun later that November. The pair had only ever put in a tenner between them, cleverly using free games and bonus credits to keep playing. When they cashed out £230 and £275 respectively, the money was in their bank accounts in a flash, making their winnings feel all the more real. Sarah even sought confirmation from a chatroom host, who assured her the cash was "was legit". She recounted her disbelief at winning, saying: "Then in the next game it said that I had won £600. I actually did have tears in my eyes and my head in my hands thinking this isn't right is it? Is this for real?". The chatroom soon buzzed with other players sharing news of big wins. Sarah and Mark didn't hold back, snapping up the maximum number of tickets for upcoming games and seeing potential wins of £2,400 pop up repeatedly. At one stage, their combined account balance was just shy of £18,000. Describing the experience, she said: "That felt a bit surreal. I was just saying to my husband over and over that this is totally surreal." Her excitement was palpable as she expressed her feelings: "I was elated. I was quite sceptical at that point, but still excited thinking 'b****y hell we've pretty much won the best part of 18 grand between us and for us that's quite life-changing'." The couple had humble plans for their windfall, as Sarah explained: "We weren't thinking about spending it on flash things. We live in a motorhome, we have to pay for places to stay. I only work part-time and unfortunately Mark can't work at the moment because he suffered with shingles and he's got post-herpetic neuralgia. "We would have spent it just on living. We haven't got any big ambitions. I don't need a new car. I don't want to live in a house. That money would have just made life easier. "My life would have changed. I had £400 in my bank at the time and you're thinking 'I could have another few grand in my bank yeah that would be sweet'." However, Sarah's joy was short-lived as her attempt to withdraw a £1,000 win got stuck. At 3am, she found her account suspended and soon after, Mark's account was also closed. The next day, when access was restored, the withdrawn cash had vanished, with Sarah's account showing only £80 and her withdrawal marked as "cancelled". She expressed her frustration: "I was angry." Sarah believes the prize pot should have been around £150 shared among winners, but due to a system error, the winnings were inflated to over £1.6 million. Gala reached out to players explaining: "Unfortunately, due to the technical error, your account was incorrectly credited with bingo winnings. We apologise for any inconveniences this may have caused." As compensation, all affected players received a £20 bingo bonus, which Sarah felt was more of a slight than a consolation. She expressed: "I just think if we weren't more stronger-minded then this could send people into quite deep depression and I've read some messages where it actually has for people with mental health problems and money problems. "People were saying 'oh my god I can't believe this I'm able to take my kids on holiday, I can afford my vets bills' and then for that to be snatched away, it's just ruined people's lives. They have literally raised people's hopes and then dashed in a matter of hours." A representative for Gala Bingo responded: "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."
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Couple's devastation after huge £18,000 Gala Bingo 'win' is snatched back
Sarah and Mark Thurgood were one of hundreds of players who believed they had scooped big wins - but their 'hopes were dashed' A couple who believed they'd scooped nearly £18,000 on Gala Bingo were left "devastated" after being informed it was a technical error and their winnings were voided. Sarah Nicole Thurgood, 49, claims she and her husband Mark, 56, thought they had secured the "life-changing" amount between them during an online bingo session on Monday. However, within hours, their accounts were suspended, their balances wiped - and they were informed the substantial payouts were a mistake. The pair were among hundreds of players who believed they had landed major wins only to have their "hopes crushed" by a technical fault. Sarah said: "The money would have changed our lives dramatically. It's a total cock-up on their behalf. They have messed with a lot of people's minds. I just don't see how they can get away with it." Sarah, from Chichester, West Sussex, who works in an art gallery, accessed the Bargain Room on Gala Bingo at 7pm on Monday. Within minutes, they each secured £40. Then came £200 victories. Then the figures started to soar even higher. "I didn't really think too much of that, I just thought we had got lucky," she said. "It did seem a bit surreal because we have never won that much before. Mark has won £70 before and that was the most we have made." Mark started playing on Gala Bingo in April 2024 and Sarah joined him in November. Between them, the couple had only ever deposited £10 - utilising free games and bonus credits to play. When the couple withdrew £230 and £275, the funds arrived instantly in their bank accounts - adding to the sense that their wins were genuine. Sarah even checked with a chatroom host, who told her the money "was legit". She said: "Then in the next game it said that I had won £600. I actually did have tears in my eyes and my head in my hands thinking this isn't right is it? Is this for real?". Soon, dozens of other players in the chatroom were reporting similarly large wins. Sarah and Mark maxed out the number of tickets for the following rounds and were each shown £2,400 wins multiple times. At one point, their accounts showed a combined balance of nearly £18,000. She said: "That felt a bit surreal. I was just saying to my husband over and over that this is totally surreal. "I was elated. I was quite sceptical at that point, but still excited thinking 'bloody hell we've pretty much won the best part of 18 grand between us and for us that's quite life-changing'. "We weren't thinking about spending it on flash things. We live in a motorhome, we have to pay for places to stay. I only work part-time and unfortunately Mark can't work at the moment because he suffered with shingles and he's got post-herpetic neuralgia. "We would have spent it just on living. We haven't got any big ambitions. I don't need a new car. I don't want to live in a house. That money would have just made life easier. "My life would have changed. I had £400 in my bank at the time and you're thinking 'I could have another few grand in my bank yeah that would be sweet'." But the elation was fleeting. When Sarah tried to cash out a £1,000 win, the transaction remained stuck in limbo. At 3am she checked her account and discovered it had been suspended. Mark's account was shuttered moments later. The following day, when both accounts were restored, the cash had disappeared and the money they withdrew was reversed. Sarah's account displayed just £80 remaining - and her earlier withdrawal request labelled as "cancelled". She said: "I was angry." Sarah claims the prize pool should only have been roughly £150 split between the winners - but owing to a glitch, the system had boosted the prize total to more than £1.6 million. Gala subsequently messaged users to explain: "Unfortunately, due to the technical error, your account was incorrectly credited with bingo winnings. We apologise for any inconveniences this may have caused." All impacted players were given a £20 bingo bonus as a "gesture of goodwill" - but Sarah claims it felt like an insult. She said: "I just think if we weren't more stronger-minded then this could send people into quite deep depression and I've read some messages where it actually has for people with mental health problems and money problems. "People were saying 'oh my god I can't believe this I'm able to take my kids on holiday, I can afford my vets bills' and then for that to be snatched away, it's just ruined people's lives. They have literally raised people's hopes and then dashed in a matter of hours." A spokesperson for Gala Bingo 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."
Wales Online
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Couple 'devastated' after £18,000 Gala Bingo 'winnings' cancelled
Couple 'devastated' after £18,000 Gala Bingo 'winnings' cancelled They thought they'd won on Monday, but within hours their accounts were frozen and the balances reversed Sarah Nicole Thurgood with her husband Mark (Image: Sarah Nicole Thurgood/SWNS) A couple who thought they'd won nearly £18,000 on Gala Bingo were "devastated" when they were told it was a technical glitch and their winnings were cancelled. Sarah Nicole Thurgood, 49, says she and her husband Mark, 56, believed they had won the "life-changing" sum between them during an online bingo session on Monday. But within hours, their accounts were frozen, their balances reversed - and they were told the massive payouts were an error. The couple were one of hundreds of players who believed they had scooped big wins only to have their 'hopes dashed' by a technical glitch. Sarah said: 'The money would have changed our lives dramatically. It's a total cock-up on their behalf. They have messed with a lot of people's minds. I just don't see how they can get away with it.' Sarah, from Chichester, West Sussex, who works in an art gallery, logged onto the Bargain Room on Gala Bingo at 7pm on Monday. Within minutes, they each won £40. Then came £200 wins. Then the numbers started to climb even higher. 'I didn't really think too much of that, I just thought we had got lucky,' she said. 'It did seem a bit surreal because we have never won that much before. Mark has won £70 before and that was the most we have made.' Mark began playing on Gala Bingo in April 2024 and Sarah joined him in November. Between them, the couple had only ever deposited £10 - using free games and bonus credits to play. When the couple withdrew £230 and £275, the funds arrived instantly in their bank accounts - adding to the sense that their wins were genuine. Sarah even checked with a chatroom host, who told her the money 'was legit'. She said: 'Then in the next game it said that I had won £600. I actually did have tears in my eyes and my head in my hands thinking this isn't right is it? Is this for real?' Soon, dozens of other players in the chatroom were reporting similarly large wins. Sarah and Mark maxed out the number of tickets for the following rounds and were each shown £2,400 wins multiple times. At one point, their accounts showed a combined balance of nearly £18,000. She said: 'That felt a bit surreal. I was just saying to my husband over and over that this is totally surreal. 'I was elated. I was quite sceptical at that point, but still excited thinking 'bloody hell we've pretty much won the best part of 18 grand between us and for us that's quite life-changing'. 'We weren't thinking about spending it on flash things. We live in a motorhome, we have to pay for places to stay. I only work part-time and unfortunately Mark can't work at the moment because he suffered with shingles and he's got post-herpetic neuralgia. 'We would have spent it just on living. We haven't got any big ambitions. I don't need a new car. I don't want to live in a house. That money would have just made life easier. 'My life would have changed. I had £400 in my bank at the time and you're thinking 'I could have another few grand in my bank yeah that would be sweet'.' But the joy was short-lived. When Sarah attempted to withdraw a £1,000 win, the transaction remained pending. At 3am she checked her account and found it had been shut down. Mark's account was closed shortly after. The next day, when both accounts were reinstated, the money had vanished and the money they withdrew cancelled. Sarah's account showed just £80 remaining - and her previous withdrawal request marked as 'cancelled'. She said: 'I was angry.' Sarah says the prize pot should only have been around £150 shared between the winners - but due to an error, the system had inflated the prize total to more than £1.6 million. Gala later messaged users to say: 'Unfortunately, due to the technical error, your account was incorrectly credited with bingo winnings. We apologise for any inconveniences this may have caused.' All affected players were offered a £20 bingo bonus as a 'gesture of goodwill' - but Sarah says it felt like a slap in the face. She said: 'I just think if we weren't more stronger-minded then this could send people into quite deep depression and I've read some messages where it actually has for people with mental health problems and money problems. 'People were saying 'oh my god I can't believe this I'm able to take my kids on holiday, I can afford my vets bills' and then for that to be snatched away, it's just ruined people's lives. They have literally raised people's hopes and then dashed in a matter of hours.' 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. Article continues below '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."
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Bingo players 'gutted' after glitch meant their £10,000 winnings didn't exist
More than 1,000 Gala Bingo players have been left in the lurch after being told their winnings of thousands of pounds did not actually exist, it's been reported. The players were taking part in bingo games on Monday with a huge prize pot of £1.6million – but the top prize should have only reached a maximum of £150. Some players thought they'd won up to £9,600, and others has started to spend their winnings, before being told the prize pot was a system error and they would not be able to withdraw their winnings. Gala Bingo sent an email to the 1,188 players affected, explaining the wins were the result of a technical fault and they would not be receiving their prizes. One woman did manage to withdraw her prize within minutes of the win – but most have been left feeling disappointed and out of pocket, with some pledging to never play with Gala Bingo again. A Scottish woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, planned to spend their winnings on a funeral for her partner's mum, who passed away recently. They were left disappointed after discovering their accounts had been frozen and the prize money was nowhere to be seen. The woman told MailOnline: 'My partner went up to get his medication and when he came back and sat down he looked shocked. I double checked and it said we had won £2,400. 'We thought we could take care of the funeral with no worries about the expense. 'I wasn't sure about it all but then the host said 'enjoy your winnings' – they obviously didn't realise what was happening. 'My partner is angry and it's become all-consuming, especially at such a difficult time. this has just knocked him sideways. 'It's all been dealt with so badly, it wasn't right.' Another player, 28-year-old Victoria Greer, was left 'shocked and disappointed' when she found out her winnings didn't exist. The full time mum from Oxford thought she'd had a lucky streak and had won a pot worth £2,400 three times in a row – but when it came time to withdraw her winnings, her account was frozen. She called the company's decision not to pay out as 'very sneaky and crafty', adding: 'I was going to spend the money on my 18-week-old boy and get him some lovely things for Christmas and go away on holiday with my partner to Spain for a week in March. 'I wanted driving lessons and a test because I don't drive at the moment so I'm disappointed.' Mum and daughter Susan, 64, and Beth, 31, were playing Gala Bingo together and thought they'd won £9,600 each. However, after seeing the winning notification pop up, the payment never made it to their accounts. Susan said: 'We were playing and then Emily said she had won something and it turned out we had won £9,600 each and I just couldn't believe it. 'I was worried it wasn't legit and so I tried to withdraw it but after about four hours it said the payment was cancelled. 'I was going to spend my winnings on changes to my cottage to help now that I've had a stroke. 'Somebody has to pay for this and something has to be done. 'Why did no one flag the error? How did no one spot this mistake?' Beth and Susan each received a voucher for £96 – just 1% of what they thought they'd won – and the vouchers must be spent on Gala Bingo within a week. 'To only give people 1% back – it's not enough, it doesn't cover the stress this has caused. We've only got £96 out of the £9,600 we thought we had,' Susan added. One lucky woman did manage to cash in her full £2,400 prize and has already been spending the money on clothes and other items for her eight-year-old daughter. But the woman, from Manchester, now feels 'awkward and guilty' after finding out so many other players weren't able to claim their cash, and is now scared Gala Bingo will try to get the money back. She said: 'I was playing and realised I'd won at 7.44pm and withdrew the money to my bank account at 7.46pm and it was there within 10 minutes. I didn't even think there was anything wrong or it was a glitch because I've won a few times before and once won £1,500. More Trending 'I can't sleep – I didn't get to sleep until 4.30am on Monday and it's put me off spending the money. 'I went to the Old Trafford Centre but I couldn't buy anything, I'm scared that if I spend it and they ask for it back – I can't have that kind of debt. 'I'm just trying to buy sensibly for my daughter for the holidays.' Gala Bingo has been contacted for comment Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
From planned funerals to spending 'fake' winnings: How dozens of Gala Bingo players thought they'd scooped their share of £1.6million... only to be told it was a GLITCH
More than 1,000 Gala Bingo players were left with shattered dreams and empty pockets after the prizes they thought they had won were the result of an online glitch. The players believed they had nabbed up to £10,000 each from a prize pot of £1.6million on the popular online gambling site. But when they attempted to withdraw their winnings, they were told by the company that they would not be able to cash the money. The glitch in the bingo company's system resulted in the prize pot increasing to £1.6million when it should have only reached a maximum of £150. As a result, 1,188 players were left disappointed and out of pocket. The gambling site then sent out an email to its customers explaining the wins were a result of a technical fault and confirming that they would not be receiving the thousands of pounds some of the players felt they were owed. One family told The Daily Mail that they had hoped to spend their winnings on a funeral for a relative and were upset and disappointed when Gala Bingo said they could not cash the £9,600 they thought they had won. The Scottish pair, who wished to remain anonymous, discovered their accounts frozen and the money nowhere to be seen after playing online on Monday. A Scottish couple had hoped to spend their £7,000 on a funeral for a family member who had recently died and were disappointed when they were told the winnings were not theirs to cash One player even had his account on the website frozen and claims he has had his chat room privileges stopped because he was encouraging others to complain The woman revealed that her partner had recently lost his mother and was over the moon to find the 1p game providing winnings of up to £7,200. She confessed that they both felt like the Scotsman's mother was watching over and smiling down at them. She added that she also tried to cash in on the good luck and enjoyed a game of bingo, taking home £2,4000 herself. The couple were relieved by the surprise windfall and planned to spend the jackpot on a fully pink-themed funeral in honour of his mother complete with pink kilts. The woman said: 'My partner went up to get his medication and when he came back and sat down he looked shocked. I double checked and it said we had won £2,400. 'We thought we could take care of the funeral with no worries about the expense.' The Scot added that she feared something wasn't right when she saw there were as many as 1,000 winners and the jackpost was still available. But she and her partner continued to play and their fears were even soothed by the bingo chat room host who told them to enjoy their winnings. She explained that she believed to have had a lucky streak, winning a pot worth £2,400 three times in a row but when it came to cashing the money, her account was frozen She said: 'I wasn't sure about it all but then the host said "enjoy your winnings" - they obviously didn't realise what was happening.' The 52-year-old woman said that some players were able to withdraw the money straight to their Santander bank accounts but others couldn't. She told the Daily Mail that since the shocking incident, Gala Bingo has frozen her and her partners accounts and even disabled her husband's chat room privileges. because of his complaining. As recompense, she said they had been given some money back in the form of vouchers but felt it wasn't enough. She said: 'My partner is angry and it's become all-consuming, especially at such a difficult time. this has just knocked him sideways. 'It's all been dealt with so badly, it wasn't right.' And the husband and wife weren't the only ones blindsided by the Gala Bingo glitch. Victoria Geer, 28, and a full time mother from Oxford confessed she was 'shocked and so disappointed' to be told by the gambling site that her winnings were in fact not hers at all. She explained that she believed to have had a lucky streak, winning a pot worth £2,400 three times in a row but when it came to cashing the money, her account was frozen. The mother-of0one said: 'I put in £15 at around 8pm and played the 1p Bingo but by 8.30pm I'd been roped in to run-up rewards but I didn't know what that was and then suddenly I got told I had won £2,400 three times in a row.' She said the company's decision to blame a glitch and refuse to pay out was 'very sneaky and crafty.' Ms Greer added that she had thought the prize money was real throughout because even the chat host congratulated her and told her to spend her winnings. The mother told the Daily Mail that she had hoped to spend the small fortune on things for her new baby boy and a holiday but revealed they were all now on hold. 'I was going to spend the money on my 18-week-old boy and get him some lovely things for Christmas and go away on holiday with my partner to Spain for a week in March. 'I wanted driving lessons and a test because I don't drive at the moment so I'm disappointed,' she said. The mother said that while she initially bought her daughter a pair of Crocs instead of a pair of 'cheap sandals from Primark' she was loathed to do any more shopping in case Gala Bingo decided to take her winnings from her bank account. Mother and daughter Susan, 64, and Beth, 31, said they couldn't believe it when they thought they had won almost £10,000 together. The pair said they had withdrawn as soon as they could after seeing the winning notification pop up on screen but their payment never made it to their account. 'We were playing and then Emily said she had won something and it turned out we had won £9,600 each and I just couldn't believe it,' Susan said. 'I was worried it wasn't legit and so I tried to withdraw it but after about four hours it said the payment was cancelled.' The 64-year-old, who recently suffered a stroke, said she thought the money would go some way to renovating her cottage to make it more accessible following the change in her health. 'I was going to spend my winnings on changes to my cottage to help now that I've had this stroke.' She added that she thought Gala bingo needed to be held accountable and said she wanted some recompense for the stress of the whole experience. Bethand Susan received one per cent of the money they thought they had won and a Gala Bingo voucher but have said it's not enough. 'Somebody has to pay for this and something has to be done. 'Why did no one flag the error? I was told I had won £2,4000 three times in a row - how did no one spot this mistake? 'And to only give people one per cent back - it's not enough, it doesn't cover the stress this has caused. We've only got £96 out of the £9,600 we thought we had. Beth had some better luck than her mother and managed to withdraw some of the money before the transaction could be cancelled, but it was just a small amount of the full total she believed she had won. She said: 'I managed to withdraw about £250 but now the rest in my account has been frozen and I can't withdraw it. Some people might have been able to withdraw thousands but we couldn't and we don't know. 'Now we've just been given a bingo bonus of £20 but has to be spent on Gala Bingo and within a week so we're tied in because it's not withdrawable.' She added that both she and her mother would not be returning. Beth said: 'I won't play again. I've vowed never to play again. It's ruined my trust.' But not everyone had such a difficult time and one Manchester resident, who wished to remain anonymous, was one of the lucky few who managed to cash in all her winnings. The woman was able to cash in £2,400 from Gala Bingo and has been spending the money on clothes and shoes for her eight-year-old daughter ahead of their caravan holiday. She explained that she didn't think there was anything odd about the win because she had previously managed to bag £1,500 from the site but withdrew the cash immediately to put towards her family holiday. She said: 'I was playing and realised I'd won at 7.44pm and withdrew the money to my bank account at 7.46pm and it was there within ten minutes. I didn't even think there was anything wrong or it was a glitch because I've won a few times before and once won £1,500.' She added she thought her success was down to her speed and said she assumes she was one of the first to cash in her prize. The Bingo player added that she was also led to believe her success was nothing out of the ordinary because she received an official email from the company warning her to consider what to do with such a large sum and signposting gambling support. But the Manchester mother confessed she has since been wracked with guilt knowing that not everyone was as lucky as her. She told the Daily Mail: 'I feel so awkward and guilty - people are talking about suing them and saying they are owed money but I don't know. 'I can't sleep - I didn't get to sleep until 4.30am on Monday and it's put me off spending the money. ' The mother said that while she initially bought her daughter a pair of Crocs instead of a pair of 'cheap sandals from Primark' she was loathed to do any more shopping in case Gala Bingo decided to take her winnings from her bank account. 'I went to the Old Trafford Centre but I couldn't buy anything, I'm scared that if I spend it and they ask for it back - I can't have that kind of debt. 'I'm just trying to buy sensibly for my daughter for the holidays.' The Daily Mail has contacted Gala Bingo for comment.
