Bingo game doesn’t stop for unconscious pensioner

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more unbelievable, it did. We all know bingo can be a cutthroat game and shouting bingo that millisecond before your opponent is ultimately what will scoop you the big win. The question is how far would you take it?

During mid May Kay Guidera took her 86yr old aunt to Gala Bingo in Sussex to play a game she truly loved. Sadly things took a turn for the worse during the game and Kay’s aunt suffered a medical episode and collapsed unconscious. The bingo called stopped the game momentarily, he was then immediately ordered to continue calling the numbers for the other players despite the chaos going on in the pensioner trying to be revived on the bingo hall floor.

How far is too far?

The bingo hall confirmed its cutthroat policy of carrying on the game even if someone falls ill. Shockingly Ms Guidera explained that the volume at which the numbers were being called out made it extremely difficult for her and her daughter to explain to the paramedics what needed to be said.

It has to be said that the immorality of the on duty manager was apparent putting the other players before someone’s declining health. Ms Guidera’s cousin had to take the paramedics outside so they could speak and determine what was wrong. All of these time wasting situations could have been fatal and could have cost a life.

Player support

While this traumatising incident was happening other players showed their support leaving the bingo hall stating they were no longer happy to play there after what they had witnessed and the heartless treatment of the sick pensioner.

Ms Guidera exclaimed “It was shamefully cruel and utterly disrespectful to treat an elderly lady like that while her terrified and distraught daughter and granddaughter could only look on helplessly and pray she wasn’t dead.”

A shocking response

Ms Guidera wrote a letter to Carl Leaver, chief executive of the Gala Coral group trying to explain the horrific ordeal and to get some clarification over what went on. The response she received was almost as gut wrenching as the incident itself. A quote from My Leaver from his response letter stated “Born out of much experience and feedback from our customers, it is Gala Bingo’s policy to continue to carry on with bingo in the unfortunate instance that one of our customers becomes ill at one of our sites.”

Luckily the pensioner ended up coming round ok and was referred to her doctor. The whole incident has highlighted the policies in the Gala Bingo halls and how they need looking into. It is never acceptable to put someone’s health at risk.

We want to know what you think if this happened to you or you witnessed it. What would you do or want to happen?