A significant jackpot malfunction has swept across two of the UK’s biggest betting brands — William Hill and 888 Casino, both owned by parent company Evoke. Players on both platforms reported seeing enormous sums appear in their accounts, with balances showing hundreds of thousands of pounds before being frozen. What followed were account suspensions, formal reviews, and demand letters requiring the repayment of any amounts already withdrawn.
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William Hill players hit first
One William Hill player found nearly £250,000 credited to his account before it was locked. The operator confirmed in writing that the balances had not arisen from valid gameplay and were attributable to a fault in the Jackpot Drop game. Citing its Terms and Conditions, William Hill asserted its right to void transactions and recover funds in the event of errors — but offered a settlement allowing the player to keep 11% of the withdrawn amount, with the remainder to be returned within three days.
888 Casino faces the same fallout
A near-identical situation played out at 888 Casino. One player deposited £50 and watched her balance climb to over £236,000 following repeated jackpot drops. She withdrew £700 before her account was flagged. Using language almost identical to William Hill’s, 888 Casino confirmed the funds had been incorrectly credited and demanded repayment — again offering an 11% goodwill settlement, in this case requiring the return of £623 within three days.
Players are pushing back — and precedent is on their side
Not all affected players are willing to accept the operators’ terms, and some have already indicated they intend to contest the matter in court. The legal landscape here is not entirely favourable for the operators. Last year, a Gloucestershire woman successfully sued Paddy Power after the bookmaker withheld a £1 million jackpot on software error grounds — the High Court ruled she was entitled to the full amount displayed on screen. In 2021, Betfred was ordered to pay Andrew Green more than £1.7 million after attempting to void his win on the same basis. In both cases, judges declined to uphold the operators’ reliance on exclusion clauses in their terms and conditions.
Difficult timing for Evoke
The glitch arrives at a particularly uncomfortable moment for Evoke. The company’s share price has fallen to 28.6p — a steep drop from its 2021 peak of 458p — with its market capitalisation now standing at £123.8 million following news of an incoming increase in remote gaming duty to 40%. Evoke has also slipped from the FTSE 250 onto the FTSE All-Share, while its executives weigh strategic options including a possible sale, with Bally’s reported as a frontrunner.
For a business already under significant financial and strategic pressure, a protracted legal dispute over a jackpot malfunction is the last thing it needs.
