Couple's devastation after huge £18,000 Gala Bingo 'win' is snatched back

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."

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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."