KerChingo – creating one of the first bingo millionaires!
In June 2007, UK bingo chain Gala Bingo announced the launch of its ‘KerChingo’ game creating one of the first ever bingo millionaires. According to the rules of the game, there was only one winner, who walked away with a guaranteed £1,000,000 prize.
KerChingo was a tournament of bingo games run from 4th to 29th July 2007. These games were played in the same way as regular UK bingo games, but the full house winners won an entry ticket to the final game as well as the house prize.
These entry tickets could only be won once, so if the full house winner already had an entry ticket to the final game then it was re-allocated to the second line winner and if necessary to the 1 line winner. If all three players already had a ticket then no ticket would be awarded for that game.
Gala Bingo offered three ways to participate in KerChingo. They were online via its website, at a local high street Gala bingo hall or via TV on the Gala Channel accessed using Sky or Freesat. Gala also offered existing members a £5 bonus if they invited friends to play KerChingo.
The final game was held on 29th July 2007 at 10pm and was broadcast on Gala TV and streamed live online. The winner was 62 year old bingo regular Pauline Clarke from Bristol. She had only graduated to online games two months prior to winning and used her £5 bonus to play the KerChingo qualifying game.