Listen to this article:A spontaneous decision to play bingo resulted in a Christmas to remember for one lucky bingo player in South London. A regular player at Mecca Bingo Eltham won the £50,000 National Bingo Game jackpot after deciding, at the last minute, to attend a session she would not usually play.
The win took place on Tuesday, 2 December, during the National Bingo Game. The player, who has chosen to remain anonymous, is a regular visitor to the Eltham Hill bingo hall; however, she doesn’t usually play on Tuesday evenings. Luckily for her, on this occasion, a change of plans proved to be very profitable.
Last year, another lucky bingo player won the £50,000 National Bingo Game jackpot in Mecca Croydon.
Tuesday nights are normally one of the quieter sessions at the Eltham club; however, it is a session in which the National Bingo Game is played. During the National Bingo Game, the jackpot is triggered when a player claims a full house within the first 16 numbers called.
Michele Axford, the duty manager who was overseeing the game on the night, described what happened when the jackpot was won:
“When the claim came in, the caller was shaking like a leaf, because she could see on her screen that the jackpot had been triggered, but the winner had no idea just how much she had won.
When we announced the size of the prize, the winner was speechless! Everyone started clapping, and she had to go outside for some fresh air. Once the news sank in, she was so happy and said she is planning to treat herself to a new car.
The winner doesn’t usually play on a Tuesday, but said that she had made a last-minute decision to come along to our evening session. Tuesday nights are one of our quieter evenings, but the win just goes to show that the National Game jackpot really can be won at any time.”
Once the reality of the win set in, the atmosphere soon changed from shock to celebration. The winner has said that she was already planning to treat herself to a new car, and she will have had a Christmas that she’ll never forget.
The National Bingo Game is hugely popular, and it is played in land-based bingo clubs across the UK. Tickets start from just £1, so it doesn’t cost much to enter, and it gives players the chance to win some life-changing prizes.
It is an add-on to a standard bingo game. Alongside the regular in-club prize, players can also trigger one of several national jackpots. These include £100 for a full house in 24 numbers or fewer, £1,000 for a full house in 20 numbers or fewer, and the top £50,000 jackpot for a full house in just 16 numbers or fewer. Any national jackpot is paid in addition to the club prize.
The game takes place twice a day at participating clubs, every day of the year except Christmas Day, which is why it produces frequent big wins across the UK.
Together with the main National Bingo Game, there are three other nationally linked games available.
For the Mecca Bingo player in Eltham, the change in routine resulted in a life-changing prize and an unforgettable festive season, which is worth keeping in mind next time you’re wondering whether to head to your local bingo club.
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