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Sep 17, 2003, 11:25 am (2 comments)
Online scratch-card outfit - tombola.com - has apologised after a software glitch at the weekend led to a "large number" of gamblers winning the jackpot.
Those who took part in the online game couldn't believe their luck when they won up to £5,000 (US$8,050) just for taking part in the "i:scratch" game.
But their euphoria was short-lived when they received an email telling them that the game was null and void.
Said the email: "I am writing to you in relation to your win on tombola.com over the weekend. Unfortunately it would appear that due to a technical error, a large number of people who played i:scratch between Saturday and Monday morning received corrupted game cards - many of which appeared to win. Under the terms and conditions, tombola are not responsible for technical failures, which was the case over the weekend."
No one at Sunderland-based Tombola.com was available to comment on the incident or to say how many people had been affected by the mistake.
As a "goodwill gesture", though, all those who "won" have been entered into a £5,000 prize draw. The names of one hundred winners have already been drawn out of a hat and each is to get £50 (US$80.50). Checks went out yesterday.
This isn't the first time tombola.com has been forced to pull the plug on its service. Three years ago a similar problem hit the online outfit as scores of people hit the jackpot. Back then, though, the service was corrupt only for a couple of hours.
Lottery Post Staff
Tomobola.com would have nullified a game with that many winners no matter how the winners were picked. I'm sure they have a clause somewhere similar to most State lotteries that change the rules if they get more winners than expected. These type of games expect to have a bunch of losers but not a bunch of winners.
RJOh