A Welsh grandmother has won what is claimed to be the world’s biggest bingo jackpot win.
53 year-old Christine Bradfield, from Bargoed in Caerphilly county, scooped the £1.1 million bingo jackpot at the Castle Club in Merthyr Tydfil.
She was playing the UK’s National Bingo Game, which is played in 470 bingo halls across the country and is considered as the world’s biggest bingo network.
Steve Baldwin, communications manager for the National Bingo Game said, “At this time we certainly believe Christine’s win is the biggest win in a legitimate game of bingo in the world.”
The Castle Club in Merthyr Tydfil went “absolutely crazy” after news of Christine Bradfield’s win had been announced.
The Castle Club’s general manager Mike Wiltshire had the rare job of calling a game which made one of the player’s a millionaire.
“The place erupted, everyone went wild,” he said.
“It was amazing. And word spread quickly so that most people in Merthyr knew before the end of the evening.”
Mrs Bradfield and Ray, her crane driver husband, are said to be in shock at the win.
She said, “We won’t sleep tonight but he has to go to work in the morning.”
Christine plans to share the jackpot with her sister-in-law Lorraine Williams and believes the money will not change her as she has no plans to give up her part-time job. The couple also have no plans to move from their terrace house. Instead Mrs Bradfield has said she will spend money on spoiling her grandchildren.
She said, “I work three days a week in a garage and luckily I don’t have to be in until Wednesday, but I’ll be there then.
“I won’t be giving up work. I couldn’t be at home or I’d be out shopping all the time.”
She has also played bingo all her adult life and will continue to play as she really enjoys the game.
“I just love the game,” she said. “I have been playing since I was old enough at 18 and I won’t stop now.”
Mrs Bradfield has been a member of the Castle Club since it opened 11 years ago and regularly plays twice a week.
Her total win of £1,101,686 consisted of the Platinum Jackpot prize of £1,018,233; the Sunday night National Game prize of £80,000, the Zone prize of £3,121 and £335 for the Club prize.
