Yes it's bingo! The game millions of people are hooked on. Never mind that we lose more than we win, it is the thrill and excitement when we do win that counts. I am not talking about bingo online I am talking about bingo halls, clubs, and even the odd church room.

In the UK if you are lucky you can win 100,000 almost every night, Sunday night the prize is 200.000 and most afternoons up to 40.000 it is called the national bingo game and it is played every afternoon and evening in most bingo halls throughout the country.

It is not only the old ladies that frequent them as some people believe, young lads and girls moms and dads and yes of course the grannies and granddads as long as they are over the age of eighteen.

Lunch and dinner is served with a variety of choice, coffee or cold drinks and of course alcohol in almost every bingo hall in the country. It is big business and we know who are the real winners.

Even the celebs love bingo Corrie star Kym Marsh plays bingo with her mom and sisters every other weekend when she goes home to visit. her local is in Wigan and Brian Dowling the winner of Big Brother 2 was seen playing in the Gala club at Surrey Keys.

Bingo is also popular in the USA where an estimated 1.6 billion people play although it is usually organised by churches or charity groups and played for small stakes.

Casinos in the State of Nevada and Native American bingo halls play commercial bingo; they are played for higher stakes and people travel long distances to play the game.

American bingo cards are different to the UK ones as in the UK we have from 1 to 90, in the US their cards are 1 to 75 and are headed B.I.N.G.O. with the numbers being B-15 I -23 G -30 etc,. We do play one of these cards during the evening in this country every so often.

But do beware you do get hooked, it is like a drug that draws you in and if your not careful you could lose all your hard earned money just for the chance of winning now and and again. In the long run you are the loser but those odd wins now and again and the thrill of winning them keeps you going back for more.

Sylvia White

I have been online for over four years and I have learnt mainly by my mistakes but I have now graduated to writing my first E-book.

I am a great grandma so no spring chicken but I have enjoyed some success and many extra holidays since I first began online.

The Internet and my PC is not only profitable but also my favourite hobby.

I have four children, eight grandchildren and one great grandchild. I am kept extremely bust as apart from my PC I have looked after three of my grandchildren since they born due to their parents working fulltime.

The eldest is eight and the youngest is almost three it has been a full time job, unpaid of course but that is what moms are for !

We received quite a blow last year when they discovered my husband had liver cancer but lucky in one way as it a slow growing one and still with me.

I also look after my son aged 42 who had an accident and received a head injury, he is recovering slowly so things are not as black as they might have been.

I try to look on the bright side of life which keeps me going.