TLDR
- An Alberta gambler says 888casino removed more than C$1.3 million (US$950,000) in online slot winnings in March.
- The operator blamed a software malfunction and says the jackpot payouts were invalid.
- An internal report found 35,072 jackpot hits during the glitch, compared with 518 expected in the same period a week earlier.
- The player was sent to a dispute service that could not handle complaints from Canadian players.
- He now wants to sue 888 and may represent himself in court.
A Canadian gambler is still fighting 888casino over more than C$1.3 million (US$950,000) in online slot winnings. The operator removed the money from his account seven months ago, saying a software malfunction made the jackpots invalid.
James Kotylak, 42, lives in Alberta. He told Gaming America he planned to use the money to buy his 91-year-old grandmother’s farm and keep it for his daughter.
Since then, he has spent months challenging the operator’s explanation. He has also asked for records of his gameplay and searched for an independent body to hear his complaint.
How the Jackpot Wins Happened
Kotylak was playing Pragmatic Play’s Floating Dragon – Year of the Snake on March 16. A series of Jackpot Drop prizes quickly pushed his balance higher.
He says he received about 15 congratulatory emails from 888. These included notices of diamond jackpots worth C$85,703.77 each.
When he tried to withdraw C$47,000, the transaction was blocked. He says 888 then removed C$1,267,003 in winnings from his account, citing an internal error.
Kotylak argues that 888 kept accepting his bets after it spotted the problem. He says he made 734 spins during the affected period, including some placed after the investigation began.
Testing Software Caused Thousands of Jackpots
The glitch affected several gambling sites owned by Evoke, including 888, William Hill, and Mr Green.
An internal report reviewed by Casino.org said testing software was mistakenly put into the live gaming environment.
The error produced 35,072 jackpot hits. During the same period the week before, only 518 jackpot hits were expected, suggesting the amount awarded in error ran into the millions.
According to the report, the malfunction began at 3:10 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time on March 16. An investigation started at 3:21 a.m., and the problem was fixed at 3:49 a.m.
Kotylak says he started playing at 3:19 a.m. That was two minutes before the investigation began.
Kotylak has had trouble finding help to challenge the decision. 888 first sent him to eCOGRA, an independent dispute resolution service, but he was told Canadian players fell outside its jurisdiction.
He says the operator later admitted it gave him wrong information about the complaints process.
In May, the Gibraltar Gambling Division found that the dispute was about whether the contract could be enforced. It said a court would need to decide the matter.
British courts have ordered gambling operators to pay disputed jackpots in the past, despite claims of software errors. Those cases included rulings against Betfred and Paddy Power.
Kotylak now wants to sue 888. He says he has struggled to find a lawyer and may take on the case himself.
