A Black Country bingo club is set for a groundbreaking £1.6 million overhaul in a bid to revitalise it as a modern leisure attraction.

Mecca Bingo will double the workforce at its Oldbury branch, creating 22 new jobs as part of the refurbishment, which will be the first of its kind in the West Midlands, with live entertainment and new restaurant and bar facilities being built around the main gaming hall.

Bingo bosses are hoping to be able to attract a new, younger crowd to the venue as well as keeping traditional features in place for existing fans of the game.

A glass screen will split the bingo hall in two, with a static bingo area for those who want to concentrate on the game itself, while the sound-proofed bingo lounge will offer a “modern, sociable gaming concept,” with food and drinks delivered to tables, space for groups to move around and chat while playing the game, and a stage for live entertainment and private or community events.

Alternative versions of the game including glow-in-the-dark bingo and rock and roll bingo, which involves ticking off song titles instead of numbers, will also be launched.

The traditional bingo caller will be ditched in favour of two “bingo hosts” who will be charged with interacting with the visitors and entertaining the guests as they present the numbers.

The decor inside the club will also be given a new, contemporary look. The club building itself in Halesowen Street will not be extended, with the majority of the money being spent on a complete internal refurbishment. The club will remain open throughout the work and is due to re-launch in January when its new look will be unveiled.

Recruitment will be taking place through Church Street Job Centre.

General manager Andrew Smith said: “We are delighted to be investing over £1.5m in Oldbury and bringing 22 new full and part-time jobs to the local economy.

“New concepts at the club include the Bingo Lounge in which people can chat to friends and enjoy the great value food and drink brought to the table and play bingo all at the same time.

“For the traditionalists, the main auditorium will continue to cater for those who wish to continue playing their favourite game as they have always done.

“The new concept at Mecca Bingo is an evolution of bingo as we know it.”

The Oldbury hall will become the third of Mecca’s 103 branches in the country to undergo the revamp in line with the company’s new Full House project.