A Bingo revolution is set to make Bermuda the first place in the world to offer daily games in which a number of different venues on the Island will link up to play the same game, thereby increasing the jackpot size for winners towards potentially $10,000 or more.

Linked games already take place in other countries but not on a continuous basis as is about to be rolled out for Bermuda.

And the company behind the move has a grand vision that the Island might one day become a mecca for bingo fans around the world, attracting the best players and adding another string to Bermuda's tourism bow.

How the Island is to succeed in becoming a world leader in daily linked-venue games will be revealed at a Superstar Bingo launch party at the Grape Bay Hotel next week, hosted by Circle Entertainment which has the licence for the new venture.

The Canadian Bank Note Company is behind the bingo revolution, and director Robert Miller told The Royal Gazette that the bingo venture would see players continue to use the traditional game cards and pen markers but with each of the venues linked electronically so that the numbers are relayed to all players at the same time.

Game staff will simply push a button to inform the other venues that a winner has called out and then the card will be checked through a computer system and viewed on a TV signal by all the players across the different venues.

Such a setup allows for a bigger prize fund and the added excitement of a 'progressive jackpot'.

Mr. Miller pointed out that a percentage of money raised from the games would be given to local charities, and believes the venture will create around 17 new jobs on the Island in the first instance.

He added: "It will be run locally, all the players will be here and the majority of the money will stay here in Bermuda. We don't want to take anything away, we want this to be part of the Island.

"We feel that we can bring something to the Island that is exciting and could see Bermuda become a big bingo venue for players around the world. If we can, we would like to set up a large championship game with players coming in from Italy, Canada and the US."

Five venues, including the St. George's Dinghy Club, the Ex-Artillerymen's Association, and the Mid Atlantic Boat Club, have agreed to give the linked-up bingo games a try, with others expressing an interest once they see how it works.

Mr. Miller said: "We are bringing bingo a step up and into the 21st century. Bermuda will have linked up games continuously, something which has not been done anywhere else."