mecca bingo claim technical fault on new game and winnings

[atat25]

late last year I won on the wheel of fortune in the life of leisure game at mecca bingo.com it came up congratulations you have won £10.000 a month for 12 months and your first instalment has been paid into your account !

I was gob smacked and thought I was seeing things , but there in my account was £10,000.

 

I rang mecca bingo to see how my other payments would be made , immediately the game was removed from the site and they were confused by what I was telling them as they stated "they do not pay prizes in instalments".

 

after several phone calls , they even asked me what I wanted to resolve ? I obviously said my £110,000 and they had to speak with the game makers Ash Gaming who are American based I believe and who it seemed had given Mecca a version of the game with this instalment prize , after a few days of phone calls they came back stating technical error and added another £1000 to my account for the inconvenience and phone calls,

 

I explained I was not happy with their response and was referred to alder hay gaming commission who just sent me an email saying I was lucky to get the £1000 as all they needed to pay me was the cost of my bet back as technical error ! I argued again this was not a technical error this was purely a part of the game Mecca had on their website.

 

Due to financial problems , my gambling etc being a huge problem for my family I never took this any further or told anyone till recently and have been advised that I should have challenged Mecca bingo.com and Ash gaming as the game has never been put back on the site and clearly was not a technical error please can someone help and advise if and how I would go about challenging this , do I need a solicitor , I cannot really afford one unless had a good chance of getting the money I won .

Edited September 7, 2015 by citizenB
spacing

[king12345]

It depends what evidence you have of the winning.

Did they confirm in writing that you had won 10000 a month for 12 months but it was a mistake?

If so I think you can surely challenge this.

Unless for some crazy reasons there's a law making an exemption to technical errors of gambling machine of which I've never heard.

We're not talking a few quid here, so an enquiry to a solicitor on a conditional fee basis is your best bet.

I would even be happy to offer 10% to a winning solicitor if I were you.

Whatever you do yourself would probably be ignored or fought by their ruthless legal team, so I wouldn't waste time and stamps trying to negotiate.

Good luck

[SabreSheep]

eurgh im no expert but I recall something years ago where it was revealed that gambling and payouts are not regulated as much as we wish them to be.

[AndyOrch]

Thread moved to General Legal Issues

[stu007]

Hi

 

Now were you playing the mecca bingo site as a Non-UK Customer? I am just wondering why you were directed to Alderney Gambling Commission which is Channel Islands based.

 

If you check mecca's main homepage at the very bottom it states:

 

Licensed and regulated by The UK Gambling Commission for UK customers playing on our online sites or at our land-based casinos/bingo clubs. Licensed and regulated by The Alderney Gambling Control Commission for non-UK customers playing on our online sites.

 

Also on checking there terms & condition they are probably using this specifically:

 

13. Errors

 

We do not accept any liability for errors on any of the websites or software or any other element of our website and we will be entitled to declare any transactions affected by any such error as void.

 

But within there Terms & condition there is a dispute resolution service specifically: 17. Complaints have a read on there website.

[king12345]

Also on checking there terms & condition they are probably using this specifically:

 

13. Errors

 

We do not accept any liability for errors on any of the websites or software or any other element of our website and we will be entitled to declare any transactions affected by any such error as void.

 

But within there Terms & condition there is a dispute resolution service specifically: 17. Complaints have a read on there website.

 

That's very convenient.

If you lose we take your money.

If you win we don't pay out because it must be a software error.

Shocking!

I would think that this fall within the definition of unfair contract terms

[Conniff]

That's very convenient.

If you lose we take your money.

If you win we don't pay out because it must be a software error.

Shocking!

I would think that this fall within the definition of unfair contract terms

 

It is shocking and why most of these companies are based in either Gibraltar or Malta. I expect Mecca's complaint to the makers was that they supplied them with a game that people could win at and not about spreading winnings.

[atat25]

It depends what evidence you have of the winning.

Did they confirm in writing that you had won 10000 a month for 12 months but it was a mistake?

If so I think you can surely challenge this.

Unless for some crazy reasons there's a law making an exemption to technical errors of gambling machine of which I've never heard.

We're not talking a few quid here, so an enquiry to a solicitor on a conditional fee basis is your best bet.

I would even be happy to offer 10% to a winning solicitor if I were you.

Whatever you do yourself would probably be ignored or fought by their ruthless legal team, so I wouldn't waste time and stamps trying to negotiate.

Good luck

 

everything was verbal and on the phone , I have nothing in writing , I was uk based and this year mecca have updated there terms and conditions and now using ibas and have a different complaint process , I would happily give a percentage of settlement if I could win this case , alone I don't think I can .thank you for all your responses , don't know how to take this forward

[atat25]

yes that is what a legal person stated too but I don't know where to start should I try their complaints process again or do you think they will not take me seriously

[i hate bailiffs]

everything was verbal and on the phone , I have nothing in writing , I was uk based and this year mecca have updated there terms and conditions and now using ibas and have a different complaint process , I would happily give a percentage of settlement if I could win this case , alone I don't think I can .thank you for all your responses , don't know how to take this forward

 

Nothing in writing

No recording

You will have to be greatfull for what money you have had so far

Think this is the end of the road on this one

[paulmuad]

The casino always win!