Men Win Bingo

National Bingo prizes have recently been won by two men, proving once and for all that men who play bingo can be just as lucky as women.

A £100,000 prize was won by a 42 year old man playing bingo at the Mecca Club in London Road, Bedford.  He plays the game with his wife once or twice a week, and made a full house in 43 calls. This won him the house prize, worth £205, but because he was also the first player to call house in the entire country for that game, he won an additional £100,000.

The £100,000 winner joined his local Mecca club just a year ago, but he has been playing bingo for five years. Until now, his biggest win was £1,000, and the magnitude of his latest win took him by surprise.

“I was just happy when I realised I had won the house prize, let alone the big one,” he said, before explaining that he intends to buy a new car and pay off debts as well as save half of the windfall. “I’m also going to put the money towards retirement,” he said. “It’s certainly going to give us an easier life now.”

The second male winner of recent days was a 77 year old retired docker, who won £80,000 plus the house prize of £400 for making a full house in 41 calls. He has been playing at the Castle Club in Usk Way, Newport for some time, and until now his previous best win was worth £2,600.

“I hadn’t been to bingo for five weeks because I have been under weather,” the winner said. “But I decided to go on Saturday, even though I still wasn’t feeling great. The win certainly perked me up though!

“We will see the family alright and have a good Christmas. It is too early to say what we will do with the rest because we haven’t got the cheque yet,” he said. “But we are definitely going to spend it!”

30th January 2008