Pauline Davies from Prescott is celebrating a fantastic start to 2008, thanks to winning £264,288 at Mecca Bingo in Knotty Ash yesterday, a share of a £1million giveaway in free games that took place across the country!

Not only was Pauline’s win completely free, but the 26-year-old has only been a Mecca member for a month! Her parents have been members for years.

“To say I’m overjoyed is a complete understatement; it’s just brilliant news and an amazing start to the year”, said Pauline, who married IT technician Kevin last July.

Now the couple are planning a return trip to Cyprus, where they had their honeymoon, and Pauline would also love to be able to get Liverpool season tickets for the pair.

And canny Pauline, a mortgage broker/administrator, is already set on paying off her mortgage…by all but £1. “There’s a penalty clause of a couple of thousand pounds if I pay if all off, so I’ll just leave £1 in the account”.

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.

Brian Hennigan, manager of Mecca Knotty Ash, commented: ‘The atmosphere in the club was electric and we are delighted that through the Mecca Millionaire game we are able to give people real life changing amounts of money. I am sure the Pauline 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.