A bingo winner has had part of her prize fund denied after an alleged mix up with the bingo equipment. Regular bingo player Lynsey Dickinson was playing at her local Top Ten Bingo hall when the mix up occurred. Ms Dickinson is now involved in a long running dispute with the bingo hall, who have apologised but refused to give her the full five thousand pounds of prize money that she was told she had won. Instead of five thousand pounds, her prize money has been cut to just one thousand pounds. The confusion came about after five thousand pounds appeared on the screen as the amount won, and staff confirmed that this was correct. When Ms Dickinson went to collect her prize, however, she was told that there had been a mistake and that she had only really won one thousand pounds. Ms Dickinson has now complained to the Gambling Commission, who will have the final decision over whether the Top Ten Bingo hall will have to pay her the five thousand pounds in full. The crux of Ms Dickinson’s argument lies in the fact that her prize winner’s document, stating that she would be given the five thousand pound prize, had already been looked over and signed by a member of staff. This means that the Top Ten Bingo hall may have to pay Ms Dickinson the prize, in order that they are sticking by their contract to their winners.
When incidents like this occur it becomes more understandable why so many people are now choosing to play bingo games online instead of by visiting traditional halls. Advancements in technology mean that it is very unlikely that there will be a mistake made when people are playing online. The old style of gaming in halls is open to error, however, whether it is down to people mishearing what numbers have been called, or just basic human error.