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<\/div>\nPlayers across the UK are demanding answers after a \u201ctechnical glitch\u201d on Gala Bingo left hundreds believing they had won thousands, only to have their winnings cancelled.<\/p>\n
Speaking to ReadWrite, customers say the scandal stretches wider than Gala, implicating other well-known brands including Foxy Bingo and Ladbrokes<\/a>, all of which sit under the same parent company.<\/p>\n On 4 August, Gala\u2019s Summer Nights Bingo promotion malfunctioned, erroneously crediting accounts with prizes far above the advertised \u00a3150 jackpot. For nearly two hours, players were congratulated by chat hosts, told to \u201cenjoy their winnings\u201d and in some cases, even managed to withdraw funds. Screenshots show balances swelling with payouts between \u00a340 and \u00a32,400, with one shared pot appearing to hit \u00a31.6 million.<\/p>\n One woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said: \u201cSome of the players that night did win and bank winnings\u2026 and were told by Gala that they can keep their winnings for being loyal customers. The story is about the players that have been denied their winnings or have had winnings taken back from their bank accounts, and have been chat and account banned for asking questions.\u201d<\/p>\n She added that some players had even endured untrained \u201cwellness checks\u201d from Gala staff, who they say were untrained, or unexpected visits from police and ambulances after complaining.<\/p>\n She described her own heartbreak: \u201cIt was the biggest win I\u2019ve ever had. I always said one day I will win big\u2026 and I thought that night was it. The money is real as I managed to withdraw to my bank and have screenshots from Gala telling me to spend my winnings wisely.\u201d But after questioning Gala, she says she was banned for five years and offered only a \u00a320 bingo bonus as \u201ccompensation.\u201d<\/p>\n Nikki Douthwaite, 48, from Edenbridge, Kent, was another player caught in the fiasco. She told us: \u201cThey\u2019ve done disgusting [things] in how they treat people. Some people have been paid out and some people haven\u2019t, and we\u2019ve all got evidence \u2013 loads of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Nikki said she managed to withdraw \u00a3500 before her account was frozen. Her mother withdrew \u00a3200, while others in the community lost far more: \u201cSomeone else has got \u00a37,000, someone\u2019s got nothing. How\u2019s that fair in your terms and conditions? Either there\u2019s a glitch or there\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n She stressed that the problem is \u201cnot just Gala.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s also Foxy. It\u2019s a whole part of their chain\u2026 Gala, Foxy, all of them are under LC International Limited,\u201d Nikki explained. \u201cI could say Ladbrokes is another one. It\u2019s bigger than that.\u201d<\/p>\n ReadWrite has seen screenshots suggesting a similar issue occurred on Ladbrokes and has contacted Entain for clarification.<\/p>\n LC International Limited is the payment processing name used by Entain PLC. Players would typically see this on their bank statements when depositing or withdrawing funds, and it covers multiple gambling brands including Gala Bingo, Foxy Bingo, Ladbrokes and Coral Casino.<\/p>\n However, some players reported having accounts suspended or permanently blocked. \u201cI\u2019ve been banned for five years,\u201d Nikki said. Others said attempts to complain were met with gambling-limit restrictions or intrusive calls about their \u201cmental health\u201d from unqualified staff.<\/p>\n For many, the fallout has caused more than financial damage. Nikki admitted: \u201cFor me, \u00a34,000 would have been a dream to mail to my dad. That would have been amazing to say I\u2019d finally paid him back. Instead, I feel very let down.\u201d<\/p>\n More than 160 people have now joined a Facebook group titled \u201cJustice for Gala Victims.\u201d Some are preparing legal action, while others are calling on the Gambling Commission to audit operators more closely.<\/p>\n Players say their trust in online bingo has been shattered. The anonymous winner said bluntly: \u201cI will never play on Gala again. They have broken my trust.\u201d<\/p>\n Nikki added: \u201cUntil they\u2019ve got a system in place that works for everybody\u2026 I wouldn\u2019t trust them. Financially, stop playing with them.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gambling Commission confirmed it is investigating Gala Bingo but said it could not comment further on whether other brands were involved. Gala\u2019s parent company, Entain, which also owns Ladbrokes and Foxy Bingo, has so far apologised only for a \u201ctechnical error<\/a>\u201d and pointed to its terms and conditions, which state winnings can be voided in the event of a malfunction.<\/p>\n But for many, those explanations ring hollow. As Nikki put it: \u201cYou can\u2019t have one rule for one and one for the other. Pay everyone or pay no one \u2013 but don\u2019t pick and choose.\u201d Entain recently reported its half-year financial report<\/a>, seeing\u00a0a rise of 7% year-on-year, reaching \u00a32.63 billion.<\/p>\n ReadWrite has reached out to Entain for comment.<\/p>\n Featured image: Mtaylor848 via CC BY 3.0 Unported<\/a> \/ Dave Green \/ Gala Bingo – Crompton Street \/ CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The post Online bingo players say glitch fallout spreads beyond Gala<\/a> appeared first on ReadWrite<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/readwrite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Gala-Bingo_2025-08-05-19-51-48-341x719.jpg\")
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\u2018Not just Gala\u2019: bingo players point to wider issues across Entain brands<\/span><\/h2>\n
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