Alberta player disputes 888casino's removal of C$1.27M Floating Dragon winnings, citing a glitch
James Kotylak says 888casino wrongly erased winnings from Pragmatic Play's Floating Dragon – Year of the Snake. The operator blames a technical error that affected jackpots across Evoke's brands.
GamblingSource: GamblingNews
A dispute between a Canadian player and 888casino over a disputed jackpot is moving toward a possible court fight. James Kotylak, 42, from Alberta, told Gaming America that he won $930,000 and that the operator took the money off his account, saying a technical glitch was responsible.
According to the account given, the winnings came on March 16, 2026, while he played Pragmatic Play's Floating Dragon – Year of the Snake. He won across several rounds and his balance climbed sharply. The casino sent him 15 congratulatory emails, one for each of the wins. Kotylak says that the amount owed to him was CAD 1,267,003.
The problem started when he tried to withdraw CAD 47,000 and 888casino blocked the cashout. The operator then investigated, and the winnings were removed from his account. Kotylak says that the casino did not stop him from playing during this period, and that he placed 734 more spins after the problem had been identified.
His case is linked to a wider error affecting Evoke's gambling brands, of which 888 is one. In that incident, the machines paid out 35,072 jackpots in error. Casinos commonly void winnings produced by a malfunction, although the source notes that past court cases over jackpots tied to machine faults have gone to casinos in some instances and to players in others.
On the question of independent review, 888casino has reportedly not objected and suggested that Kotylak approach eCOGRA, one of the bodies that handles such disputes before they reach court. However, eCOGRA has said that Canadian players currently fall outside its jurisdiction. In May, the Gibraltar Gaming Division separately concluded that an issue of contractual enforceability had arisen that would need a judge to decide.
Kotylak says he is trying to obtain documents and records of his gameplay, and is looking for an independent adjudication service to help settle the matter. He has not ruled out going to court, but says the legal costs are currently too high for him to bear.
Based on reporting by GamblingNews.