Last-Minute Bingo Trip Nets £50,000 Jackpot for Hamilton Woman

_{Leanne (behind cheque) celebrating her win. (Image: Mecca Bingo)}

When Leanne McDougall set out for a simple evening with friends, she didn’t expect to leave £50,000 richer. The 39-year-old from Hamilton was playing at Mecca Bingo on Douglas Road when she scooped the National Bingo Game jackpot, turning an ordinary Friday into a life-changing night.

McDougall and friends Emma and Jason had initially planned to go elsewhere, but when their restaurant booking fell through, they made a spur-of-the-moment decision to visit their local Mecca club instead.

An Unexpected Full House

During the National Bingo Game, McDougall played using one of Mecca’s digital tablets, but didn’t realise she had completed her full house within the first 16 calls, triggering the £50,000 top prize.

“I knew I needed number 23, but I wasn’t really paying attention because I just didn’t think it was going to happen,” she said.

 “When it did, I thought I’d won the usual £1,000 jackpot, then the caller said it was £50k! I was in complete shock! It still hasn’t sunk in.”

The Mecca Bingo Hamilton club erupted with cheers. “The atmosphere in the club was amazing and I wish I had a video of my friends’ reactions,” McDougall added. “I’ve been coming here for 15 years, so the staff all know me, and they were just over the moon.”

Celebrating a Family Tradition

The first thing McDougall did after realising her win was call her mum. “She’s the one who got me into bingo,” she said. 

“We’ve had a tough few years after losing some family members, so it felt like they were looking down on me that night. I went straight to her house and we celebrated together.”

Having just passed her driving test, McDougall plans to buy a new car and treat her family to a holiday at Disneyland Paris, before topping it off with a dream 40th-birthday trip to Dubai.

A Lucky Streak for Mecca Bingo

McDougall’s win adds to a string of National Bingo Game jackpots awarded at Mecca venues across the UK in 2025. The National Bingo Game is a linked event played across participating clubs nationwide, offering fixed £50,000 prizes for full houses achieved in 16 calls or fewer.

Recent winners include players from Mecca Bingo venues in Hartlepool, Luton and Wrexham, highlighting the game’s continued popularity and the life-changing prizes still on offer to regular players.