William Hill ‘glitch’ dispute follows £285,000 win and customer heart attack

76-year-old John Riding believed he had won £285,000 on an online casino game. Later, he was told the payout was due to a glitch, causing a heart attack. Mr Riding, from Burnley, Lancashire, hit the six-figure jackpot on the 16th of March while playing at William Hill’s online casino on his phone. He said that the huge win was confirmed by staff at his local betting shop, and the funds appeared in his betting account too. However, Mr Riding’s celebrations were short-lived.

Last updated: 09-04-2026published: 09-04-2026

Claudia Hartley

Betting & Casino Writer

Fact checked by:

Chad Nagel

Sports Betting & Casino Editor

4 minread4 minutes read

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William Hill ‘glitch’ dispute follows £285,000 win

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Disputed jackpot win removed after ‘glitch’ identified

Mr Riding said that when he attempted to withdraw part of the winnings, his account was blocked immediately. The following day, he received an email informing him that the funds had been removed after what the company described as a ‘technical error’.

Instead of that £285,000 windfall, just £15.40 was credited back to his account.

After several unsuccessful attempts to contact customer support, Mr Riding became unwell and was admitted to the hospital with a heart attack. While he credited the staff at Royal Blackburn Hospital for their care, his family described the week as ‘horrific’.

William Hill said the issue related to its Jackpot Drop game, in which incorrect sums were temporarily credited to customer accounts, before the error was identified.

Similar complaints emerge as legal action is considered

Mr Riding is not believed to be the only customer who has experienced this. Solicitor Paul Kanolik said around 50 people had contacted his firm regarding similar withdrawn winnings. Some customers believed they had won sums of up to £1 million - only for the funds to be removed.

Previous disputes over technical errors like this one have reached court in the past. In 2021, Andrew Green was awarded £1.7 million after Betfred refused to pay a jackpot win it claimed resulted from a software glitch. The High Court ruled the bookmaker’s terms were too vague to avoid paying the winnings.

More recently, a separate High Court ruling ordered Paddy Power to pay over £1 million to a customer after the operator attempted to reduce winnings due to a display error.

Mr Riding is yet to press charges, hoping instead that William Hill will behave in a moral way, honouring the win and paying out the £285,000.

Claudia HartleyBetting & Casino Writer

Claudia Hartley is a versatile content writer and editor with a strong footing in digital publishing, particularly within the iGaming and affiliate space. With nearly a decade of experience, she has built a reputation for producing clear, engaging, and well-researched content that connects with readers while meeting SEO goals.

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William Hill ‘glitch’ dispute follows £285,000 win and customer heart attack

Disputed jackpot win removed after ‘glitch’ identified

Similar complaints emerge as legal action is considered

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