A Halifax woman is celebrating a fantastic start to 2008, thanks to winning £100,000 at Mecca Bingo in the town yesterday, a share of a £1million giveaway in free games that took place across the country!

The anonymous woman is a married 37-year-old with two children.

“I am shocked but also feel really fantastic and the way I feel just now maybe I’ll just spend, spend, spend!”

The woman, who has been a member at Mecca Halifax for five years, has only won small amounts in the past. The family is off on holiday to Cuba in four weeks and the winner says it’ll be the best holiday ever.

“To say I’m overjoyed is a complete understatement; it’s just brilliant news and an amazing start to the year”, she said, adding: “My husband doesn’t believe me right now and I think I’ll need to show him the cheque before he does”.

The huge win was thanks to the Mecca Millionaire game, launched on 1 September 2007, which saw Britain’s first ever million pound giveaway by any high street bingo operator.

The Mecca Millionaire game is possible thanks to new gambling laws in this country, giving bingo operators the ability to retain a percentage of the player’s stake and give away huge accumulated jackpot winnings. Mecca has made three players millionaires in the last four months alone!

All 103 clubs around the UK took part in a Mecca Millionaire bonanza yesterday, with the two daily games played for free (normal price £2). Players had the chance to win one of three prizes each game, with one line winning £100,000, two lines winning £150,000 and full house winning £264,288.50.

Jon Dale, operations manager of Mecca Halifax, commented: ‘The atmosphere in the club was electric and we’re all excited as we’re only a small club. People were stomping and cheering as she’s such a popular customer. We are delighted that through the Mecca Millionaire game we are able to give people real life changing amounts of money. I am sure our big winner will agree that Mecca really does put on the best game in town!’

A total of £3.5 million has changed the lives of 16 Mecca Millionaire players since September, with nearly £6 million in jackpot payouts across the UK bingo industry as a whole.