A woman who thought she had won a life changing £1 million jackpot has been left shocked after being told the win was a mistake caused by a technical glitch.

Claire Ainsley believed she had landed the seven figure sum after playing the Jackpot Drop game on the William Hill app, with the winnings briefly appearing in her account and initial communication suggesting the payout would be processed.

However, she was later informed that the apparent win had been triggered by a system error and would not be honoured.

Speaking about the moment she thought she had won, she said:

"I feel like I deserve that money."

Ainsley had initially contacted the bookmaker after seeing the jackpot appear, sending screenshots as proof of the win. She was then asked to verify her identity, which she completed, and was told the money would be transferred within 72 hours.

She described her excitement at the time, saying she had already begun planning how she would use the money, including securing a home and taking her children on holiday. However, her attempts to withdraw the funds were later declined, and she received confirmation that the win had been voided.

The company later explained that a technical issue had affected the Jackpot Drop game, resulting in incorrect balances being displayed to some users. It stated that affected accounts had been contacted and that any erroneously credited funds would not be paid out.

The situation has sparked wider discussion around online gambling systems, with concerns raised about transparency, verification processes and how errors of this scale can impact customers who believe they have legitimately won large sums.

Ainsley has also suggested she is not the only person affected, claiming that others have experienced similar issues with the same game and sharing her experience with an online group of users reporting comparable outcomes.

She has said she is now seeking further proof of the alleged glitch and questioning how the win was initially validated before being reversed.

The case has drawn attention to how online betting platforms handle technical faults and the protections available to customers when large sums appear in accounts before being withdrawn.