William Hill betting app back online after 3 days

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - The William Hill and Caesars Sportsbook mobile sports betting app is working again after bettors weren’t able to log in and cash their bets from the Super Bowl.

A screen that said ‘unable to start’ met William Hill bettors since Sunday night.

On Tuesday, William Hill apologized to customers and said they were aggressively working to bring back the apps.

“We have pinpointed the cause of the system failure and are now working through the resolution with all of our available resources,” the company said.

However, until Wednesday night bettors were left in the dark.

Jerome McGhee said he bet $40,000 on the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl. It brought his overall account to over $200,000 he said. However, he didn’t know if he’d ever see that money.

“Right after the game I was so excited about them coming back and winning I kept trying to log into my account and I couldn’t, McGhee said.”

He and thousands of others waited and wondered if they’d get paid out.

In the same statement Tuesday, William Hill announced their sportsbooks are back open and operating.

A sign at the sports book at Casino Valle Verde Wednesday said, “no account deposits or withdrawals.”

“If something was going to break, this is the time it’s going to break,” gaming expert David Schwartz said. “Which is unfortunate because it’s when most people are using it.”

Schwartz said how the company responds to the issue will be important for consumer retention.

“How they work to get those customers back. Obviously, that’s a big issue if people can’t get their money so the company would have to take some extraordinary steps to try to show good faith for their customers,” Schwartz said.

In an email to impacted bettors, the company said it is offering two $50 bonus bets to customers. The first was added to customers’ accounts Wednesday. A second $50 will be added to accounts on March 1 and must be used by March 15.

McGhee, who lives in Sacramento, said he is going to find a new betting app to use. He plans to drive to Reno to cash out his balance.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board said it is aware of the issue.

“Board Agents from the Enforcement and Technology Division are currently investigating the matter,” A spokesperson said.

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