Fourth time lucky for £61,000 bingo winner

An Eastwood man is planning a celebratory holiday abroad with his girlfriend, after scooping more than £61,000 playing bingo.

And the big win came as something of a shock for 22-year-old Nathan Jenkins, as it was only the fourth time he had ever played bingo.

Nathan played his first game a year ago after joining some friends who played at the Mecca Club in Greyhound Way, Southend. He returned to the Mecca on the evening of Friday, 6 June with his girlfriend of four years and her family, and that was when good fortune struck.

He won the National Bingo Game prize of £60,000, plus the Regional prize of £1,877 and the house prize of £158 after completing a full house in 40 numbers, the lowest call out of the 470 clubs playing nationwide.

“I didn’t quite believe I’d won it at first and it took a good few days for it to sink in,” said Nathan, “My girlfriend couldn’t believe it either.”

Nathan intends to save most of the money but is looking forward to the holiday with his girlfriend,

“I don’t know where we’re going yet, but it will be somewhere nice abroad,” he said.