Could a Glitch Cost You Life-Changing Bingo Winnings?

A man who won a "life-changing" amount of money on the Gala Bingo app says he will not receive the money due to a technical glitch. Adam Wall, from Deeside, Flintshire, believed he had won more than £7,000 but was later told the winnings did not exist. The 45-year-old said he has had to put his newly-formed marriage plans on hold leaving his partner "close to tears". A spokesperson for the bingo operator said in the "event of a malfunction" a player's winnings can be voided as stated in their terms and conditions. Mr Wall told the BBC Radio Wales Phone-in with Oliver Hides that he had been "enticed in" after receiving notifications from the Gala Bingo app on 11 August. "I had a few games and I won a runner's up prize of £2,400," he said. "I was taken aback at that so I withdrew it straight away. I continued to play and won another two of these bonuses totalling £7,200." Mr Wall withdrew his winnings immediately and started making plans for the future with his partner. "We'd made plans with the money as you would," he said. But Mr Wall said he never actually received the winnings as Gala Bingo conducts extra checks on withdrawals over £2,000. "I was in the withdrawal process that needs to be made to allow the payment to go through," he said. But when he woke up the following morning his elation turned to heartbreak as Mr Wall said his account had been closed despite "no communication" and "no suspension" notice from Gala Bingo. He said: "Since then we've been told that we are not getting the money as per their terms and conditions." Mr Wall said he was not the only person who feels "angry" about this technical error. He is part of a Facebook group called Justice for Gala Victims which currently has over 200 members who are all fighting to receive their winnings from the bingo operator. "I think I can speak on behalf of everybody here in saying that we felt scammed," he said. Mr Wall is now seeking legal representation to build a case against Gala Bingo. But he said it would not compensate for the emotional heartbreak after the realisation that he would not be receiving the money. "My girlfriend was close to tears," he said. "When we won that money we looked at each other thinking our lives had just changed." A legal battle with a betting company can take years as seen with a gardener from Gloucestershire who celebrated a £1m payout from Paddy Power in March. But Mr Wall said the number of people allegedly affected by the technical error meant it was a claim that is worth pursuing. He said: "It's been reported that there are hundreds affected. There's a lot of money involved then, isn't there?" Mr Wall added that was "the messy bit" as more and more people come forward. "Why are we getting treated different if you've got your terms and conditions, your fair play policies," he said. "How does any of this seem fair?"