British Man Suffers Heart Attack After Winnings Voided by William Hill

^{Pictured: John Riding in hospital after suffering a heart attack}

A 76-year-old British man was hospitalised with a heart attack after a large online casino win at William Hill was voided, the The Mirror reported.

The case concerns John Riding, who was playing the Cherry Bonanza slot with a £0,10 stake ($0,13) Following one spin, his account displayed winnings of £285,700 (approximately $379,800). The amount was later confirmed at one of the operator’s retail outlets.

Riding said he planned to use the money to move closer to his children and grandchildren, as well as for family expenses. However, the funds disappeared from his account within 24 hours. He said the only explanation provided was a notification stating a “manual adjustment” to his balance. His account was subsequently credited with £15,40 (around $20,50). The bookmaker later said the issue was caused by a technical error.

In the following days, Riding also encountered additional technical problems. When attempting to log in, he was prompted to change his password, after which access to the account was blocked. He was also unable to obtain timely assistance from customer support.

Ten days after the incident, Riding was hospitalised with a heart attack. His relatives linked the deterioration in his condition to stress related to the cancelled winnings.

They said he does not smoke, does not drink alcohol, is not overweight and had no prior history of cardiovascular issues.

Paul Kanolik, a lawyer at Ellis Jones, said around 50 clients had contacted him with similar complaints. He added that, in his view, the incident may have affected hundreds of users.

Gambling Park notes that William Hill had mistakenly credited players with millions of pounds due to a technical fault in a slot jackpot mechanism.