A young bingo player today told how she was left speechless after landing a £26,000 jackpot.
Victoria Benabied, 22, only went to the Mecca Bingo club in Aylsham Road, Norwich, after being badgered into it by her bored friend, Odette Lami.
It turned out to be one of the best decisions of her life after she won the National Bingo Game prize of £25,000, plus a further regional prize of £1,116.
The pals, who normally go to the club on Thursdays and Sundays and have never won more than £1,000, have a rule that they always split their winnings down the middle and Mrs Benabied, of Knowland Grove, was only too pleased to honour the agreement for her biggest win yet on Monday.
Mrs Benabied, a chef at the Royal Mail depot in Thorpe Road, said: “We always go halves. My friendship is worth more than that.
“I didn’t feel a thing when I won. I think I was in shock. People were kissing me but I just sat there. The nice thing is that the winning number was 69, which is my nan’s favourite number.”
The national prize that evening was £50,000, but Mrs Benabied had to share the loot with a player in Stockton on Tees, who also called in 44 numbers, the lowest call in 500 clubs playing nationwide.
Mrs Benabied, who also plays bingo with her mother, Mandy Clarke, grandmother Norma Sparkes, and aunt Hayley Marrison, said her twice weekly visits would continue.
“We might win again, and, anyway, we really enjoy going, said Mrs Benabied, who plans to buy a new car, have a holiday in Tunisia, treat her family and invest the remaining cash.
Mrs Lami, 26, of Jex Road, plans to invest her winnings in a new car, after she has passed her test.
I landed 26,000 pounds bingo jackpot