WTG Andrew Thorpe, meccabingo.com fan and online slots enthusiast who took home the huge £10,000 jackpot prize. Sponsored by games studio Blueprint Gaming, both online and land-based players came together for the first-ever Mecca Bingo cross-channel tournament. Let’s find out more about the big scoop!
The Magic Happened at Luton Mecca Bingo
Mecca Bingo’s Luton was the hosting venue of the grand final of the first tournament of its kind. After successfully getting through a series of qualifying rounds online and at Mecca’s venues, the 16 finalists were excited to visit the Luton branch. Who wouldn’t be if you had the chance to win a share of a juicy £25,000! £10,000 was the top prize for the overall winner.
The Night as It Happened
On the night, attendees and their guests enjoyed a lovely drinks reception before going head-to-head in a series of knockout games. Only the round’s winner would advance to the next round, though they had another chance to win because they (and their guests) could join in the hall’s main bingo session.
As the two finalists reached the final round, they each had to complete 200 spins over a 20 minute session. Before long, Andrew was crowned the winner!
The other finalists enjoyed some extras too – their overnight stay, goodie bags, a bottle of bubbly and the chance to win again with a free bingo session the next day at the Luton venue.
Andrew On Winning
Aged 40, husband to Kim and father of seven, Andrew from Norwich saw promotional material for the Tournament and thought he’d take part for fun, never expecting to win.
“I expected to go out in the first round as I’m not usually that lucky! Just getting to the final was amazing but seeing my score at the end was a complete shock. I was absolutely buzzing and my heart was beating so fast. It’s such a lot of money to win!
Thanks to everyone involved in the Slots Tournament. It was a fantastic evening, really well put together, we met some great people and the win was the icing on the cake!”.
We couldn’t be happier that Andrew is using his winnings to take his family to Spain or Greece – they’ve not been on a plane before so it will be a huge treat.
Advertiser Disclosure: When you use WhichBingo, there are never any hidden fees or costs. To help fund our work we may earn a referral commission if you create an account via our site. This commission never impacts the impartiality of our reviews and ratings.
18+. New online customers only. Deposit (PayPal & PaySafe Excluded) & Play £10 on Bingo within 7 days to get £40 Bingo Bonus, 50 Free Spins & Club Voucher. Selected games, wagering requirement & expiry dates apply. See Full T&Cs for more detail. Please play responsibly. Gambleaware.org #AD. Full T&Cs Apply.
A Word from BluePrint Gaming and Mecca Bingo
On the tournament, head ofMeccabingo.comRobert Lee said: “We were delighted to welcome both seasoned slots players and newcomers at our first ever cross-channel Slots Tournament. It was great to see players from across the country come together to experience the joy of what Mecca has to offer – from slots to bingo!
The whole team extends their thanks to all that took part. A special thanks to our tournament sponsors, Blueprint Gaming and of course a huge congratulations to our Slots champion, Andrew. We look forward to hosting our next tournament very soon”.
Jack Lawson, account manager at BluePrint Gaming said: “It was a pleasure to be involved with and sponsor the Mecca Bingo Slots Tournament 2024 in Luton. Well done to everyone involved in making the whole event a huge success. We’re very much looking forward to showcasing more of our product portfolio at events in the future”.
Mecca Bingo has been busy recently launching a suite of new initiatives, including this slots tournament, Spingo which combines spin classes and bingo at its venues, line dancing classes for free, and digital Loose Women-themed scratchcards. What’s next? Watch this space.
A new bingo brand has arrived, and this one’s got stripes! Introducing Zebra Bingo: We always get excited when there is a new bingo site, so we wanted to give you all the details. What Is Zebra Bingo? Zebra Bingo is the latest bingo site to join the lovely bingo community. It offers slots, live casino, table games, Slingo, jackpot games, and more. And it’s an exclusive launch only on…
Winlandia Bingo is launching with a bang, new customers can get an incredible offer – available only on WhichBingo: So get ready, bingo fans! Because a fresh face has joined the UK’s online bingo scene. Only on WhichBingo: A Better Offer Than Signing Up Directly We’ve secured a special deal that you won’t find anywhere else – it’s even better than the welcome offer on the main Winlandia website! Winlandia…
It takes an exceptional person to use their winnings to help others, and that’s exactly what Sharon Discombe did. 61-year-old Sharon, an Exeter grandmother of 13, struck a £20,000 full-house prize during Mega Money Live game at Mecca Bingo Exeter this month. And she and her husband, Darren, immediately put the winnings toward helping the community. “I was crying and shaking” Sharon said the win was completely unexpected – but…
Well, well, well. We’re now four episodes into Celebrity Traitors UK 2025, and the castle chaos is chaos’ing, as expected. The Celebrity Traitors cast have finally settled into their roles and the game is hotting up. If you’re not up to date, this piece contains HUGE spoilers. Head to iPlayer now and watch before reading. Spoiler: Alan Carr’s Killer Move In one of the biggest shocks so far, Alan Carr, the giggliest Traitor in…
If you want to get more treats than tricks, we’ve created the ultimate guide to the best Halloween bingo games, online Halloween slot games, and the spookiest bingo events. Featuring ‘ugly drag queens’, slasher fishermen, and more; we’ve got Halloween bingo events from Bongo’s Bingo, offers from Heart Bingo, Big Bass Halloween slot details, and more. So, forget ghosts and ghouls, the scariest thing this autumn would be missing out…
If like us you’re joyful at just the mere sound of the famous intro, you’ll be pleased to know that Big Brother is back. Bigger, bolder, and better (the jury’s still out on that one) than ever. The iconic reality TV format has returned to our ITV2 screens, and once again, it has the nation talking. This time, there’s a new partnership that caught our eye. Joining the likes of…
The Walking Dead has always been about survival against impossible odds, and now there is a slot game to match. To celebrate the launch of the new The Walking Dead – The Ones Who Live slot game and tv series, we have an exclusive free spins offer: Plus you’ll be getting exclusive early access to the game via Winlandia. Recap: The Walking Dead – The Ones Who Live When The…
Summer holidays, seaside getaways, and casino culture are probably more common than you realise. With Dabbing Out travelling to Brighton Beach for bingo, we were inspired to seek out more great places to play great games. WATCH: Dabbing Out episode 3: Brighton Bingo From glamorous European shores to bustling tourist hubs and floating resorts, these seven iconic destinations have seamlessly blended the excitement of travel with the thrill of the…
If you want to get more treats than tricks, we’ve created the ultimate guide to the best Halloween bingo games, online Halloween slot games, and the spookiest bingo events. Featuring ‘ugly drag queens’, slasher fishermen, and more; we’ve got Halloween bingo events from Bongo’s Bingo, offers from Heart Bingo, Big Bass Halloween slot details, and more. So, forget ghosts and ghouls, the scariest thing this autumn would be missing out…
The Walking Dead has always been about survival against impossible odds, and now there is a slot game to match. To celebrate the launch of the new The Walking Dead – The Ones Who Live slot game and tv series, we have an exclusive free spins offer: Plus you’ll be getting exclusive early access to the game via Winlandia. Recap: The Walking Dead – The Ones Who Live When The…
When you’ve gotta bingo, you’ve gotta bingo and this has made for some… interesting spots for people to play the classic game. The digital age has unleashed an online bingo revolution, and it’s happening in the most unexpected (and often hilarious) places. The 2025 WhichBingo Bingo Player Survey, polling 1,200 UK players, revealed a glimpse into the bizarre world of online bingo habits, proving that Brits will squeeze in a…
What does your favourite bingo or casino site say about you? Well, we have analysed all 265,000 votes and data from the WhichBingo Awards 2025 – to reveal how your vote played a key role, which sites and games made an unseen impact, and what it might say about you… You can view all the WhichBingo Awards 2025 winners here. What Your Favourite Bingo Site Says About You: Your Voting: The Big Picture 2025…
Gamblers are set for a major win as a new law will soon cap bonus wagering requirements. The changes, which will come into force on 19 January 2026, will cap casino bonus wagering requirements at a maximum of 10x times the bonus amount, a significant drop compared to the wagering requirements some sites have of 65x and higher. Big Win For Players: From £650 to £100 So, how will these…
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced two measures to improve player protection designed to reduce the risks of gambling addiction while ensuring that more operators contribute to helping people affected. The changes involve new stake limits and a statutory levy. Let’s read more about it. 1. New Stake Limits While full details have yet to be outlined, based on the Gambling Review’s White Paper, the…
Safer gambling week is upon us once again but what does that mean for the gambling industry and those who play? For gambling companies it is an opportunity to engage with their customers and promote the various tools that are on offer to help players manage their gambling spend, their time spent gambling and their access to gambling. For consumers it is a chance to have open and honest conversations…
For most people, gambling is a fun thing to do. A small deposit, a few wagers, or a cheeky flutter here and there can add a bit of thrill to your day. But for some, gambling can get out of control, creating financial and emotional challenges… or worse. That’s why Safer Gambling Week 2024 (SGW) which is running from Monday 18th of November to Sunday 24th of November is so…
When it comes to big Traitor energy, there’s only one man that comes to mind… former turret-dweller Traitor pro, Paul Gorton. Podcast host, Rolling Stone correspondent… and Joe Wilkinson pal (himself a die-hard traitors fan), this man’s built an empire on friendly deception. We’ve ranked the top 30 Free Spins offers in the UK. Check out our full list: WhichBingo caught up with the tall, quick, and ruthlessly competitive Gorton to dissect the mind games…
Well, well, well. We’re now four episodes into Celebrity Traitors UK 2025, and the castle chaos is chaos’ing, as expected. The Celebrity Traitors cast have finally settled into their roles and the game is hotting up. If you’re not up to date, this piece contains HUGE spoilers. Head to iPlayer now and watch before reading. Spoiler: Alan Carr’s Killer Move In one of the biggest shocks so far, Alan Carr, the giggliest Traitor in…
Debbie McGee sat down with WhichBingo to chat about her career and her ongoing love for Strictly Come Dancing. While many remember her from her years working alongside the late magician Paul Daniels, Debbie has built a career of her own in entertainment. With training at the Royal Ballet School, she’s worked across theatre, TV and radio, and has become known for her warmth and resilience. In 2017, she reached…
The latest season of Big Brother has already delivered on its promise of drama, shocks, and non-stop entertainment. Viewers can tune in 6 nights a week and expect to see surprise twists, fiery personalities, and the kind of unpredictable moments that keep the nation glued to their screens. WhichBingo is keeping fans updated on the biggest reality TV moments as they unfold. Season Recap The show kicked off with an…
by
Killian Morris
3min
Updated October 15, 2024
Esther Rubin
Content Editor
Esther Rubin is a bingo and slots specialist with years of hands-on experience in the online gaming industry. Having worked as a bingo chat host, VIP manager, and promotions strategist, she has a deep understanding of online bingo platforms, community engagement, and player rewards. At WhichBingo, Esther reviews bingo sites, game variations, and promotions, helping players find the best platforms for a fun and fair gaming experience. She also analyzes slot games, offering insights tailored for bingo players exploring slots. With a player-first approach, Esther’s reviews break down bonuses, jackpots, and game mechanics in a way that’s clear, engaging, and community-focused.
4min 
Reader comments