What is bingo

In return for a stake, a player receives a grid of random numbers Grid numbers are marked off when announced by a caller Prizes are awarded for completing a grid line, multiple lines or the full grid faster than other players

Big clubs pay out some £20,000 or more in a night, depending on attendance Clubs often link games together electronically The National Game links 550 clubs every night, and has prizes of up to £500,000 The industry claims bingo has the best odds of any popular form of gambling Bill Clinton, on his recent visit to the Labour conference in Blackpool, had to be dragged by his minders from a bingo hall, and the British Bingo Association fingers Denise Van Outen, Elle MacPherson, Atomic Kitten, Damon Hill, Bianca and Jade Jagger as regular players. But forget the glitz, fans say - what has really rescued the game is its inner core of fuzzy warmth.

Bingo is a social event, Mr Sibley says. For our regular customers, it is an irreplaceable part of their lives. Bingo clubs are set up to provide a patrolled, safe environment, with a level of care you dont find in other forms of leisure. Bingos big day So far, so relatively unspectacular. But bingo may be on the verge of a more tangible boost. Target demographic In April, Chancellor Gordon Brown proposed eliminating bingo duty - currently roughly 10p in the pound, contributing about £115m annually to the Treasury - and replacing it with a direct tax on operators incomes. Operators have been slow to cheer, but punters and investors assume duty abolition will result in bigger prize-money and a surge in attendance. According to investment bank Lehman Brothers, abolition could boost bingo-sector profits by an immediate 30%. Lighter hands