Gala Bingo players on Tuesday night were shocked when they scooped big prizes, thinking their “lucky day had finally come”.

Over 1,200 players took part in the game, racking up more than £1.6 million in winnings, with many believing they had finally struck it lucky and won as much as £20,000.

However, the company later informed the winners that the game had malfunctioned, leaving them without access to their much-anticipated payouts.

Jill Douthwaite, a 72-year-old retiree, was one of the hopeful winners who snagged £2,700 during the online game. She was assured by a live chat agent that her winnings were valid, which brought her immense relief as she planned to use the money for her dog’s eye surgery—a much-needed procedure for her furry friend. Unfortunately, Jill, who struggles to make ends meet, was devastated when she learned the money wouldn’t be sent her way.

“It felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders when I won—finally, I could spend £500 to save my dog’s eyesight,” she told The Sun. “We don’t have the luxury of going on holidays, and we’ve had our fair share of bad luck. Just the other day, my daughter was ready to repay her dad for his car loan, but she had to go back on her word because of Gala Bingo.”

Another player, Fiona Ure from Scotland, found herself missing out on a hefty £9,600 due to the same technical issue. The 58-year-old, who is currently unemployed because of disabilities, expressed her disillusionment: “Initially, I thought it might be too good to be true, but their own chat agent reassured me,” she said.

“Now, I feel completely deflated and have lost all hope that they’ll rectify this situation.” Ure shared her feelings of betrayal after being a loyal customer for 15 years, remarking, “I doubt I’ll ever gamble with them again.

They’ve admitted to a technical error, which feels like their way of saying we won’t be getting our money.” In a message to customers, Gala Bingo stated that they wouldn’t be handing out the winnings but would refund players what they had spent on Bingo Tickets instead.

The company explained that the technical glitch, which took place on Monday night, caused disruption for around two hours, and they have reached out to the Gambling Commission regarding the matter.

A spokesperson for Gala Bingo offered an apology: “We sincerely regret the technical error that occurred during our Summer Nights Bingo promotion, leading to incorrect payouts. As outlined in our customer Terms and Conditions, in the event of a malfunction, winnings may be voided. We have contacted affected players directly with a gesture of goodwill.”