By Pamela McGowan

Last updated at 12:40, Wednesday, 12 November 2008

Cumbria's luck is in, with two local bingo players scooping a combined prize of £38,000 on the national game in the space of three days.

Both wins came at Opera Bingo venues – one in Penrith last Thursday and one in Whitehaven on Sunday.

The two winners have asked to remain anonymous.

The first win, at Penrith’s Middlegate club, came when a customer called “house” on number 86. She scooped the £20,000 national prize, plus an additional £2,427 in regional and club winnings.

There was great celebration at the bingo house, which had similar success in June when 79-year-old great-grandmother, Ada Borrowdale, scooped £27,000.

But there was more cause for celebration on Sunday night when the chain’s Whitehaven branch recorded yet another big win.

Players at the Tangier Street club watched another winner take home half of the £25,000 national prize which, with other bonuses, added up to £15,875.

The woman, who plays every Sunday, had nearly given that night’s game a miss because of the heavy rain.

But at the last minute her husband persuaded her to brave the weather, and the couple are now thanking their lucky stars that he did. She plans to buy him a new car and take him on holiday with her winnings.

Sunday’s excitement is also the second big win this year for the Whitehaven club after £33,000 was won there in April.

Opera Bingo’s marketing manager, Charlotte Kennedy, said: “It’s fantastic news. It’s very exciting when we have a big national game win in any of our three clubs, but to have two big winners over just a few days is amazing.

“This takes our total to four national winners in just over six months,” she said.

First published at 11:25, Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk