SOLVED. Children's book about boy staying at a hotel - gets forced to enter a competition by other people with another girl his age. [s]

[Sophie]

Read a book when I was about 8/9 years old (ca. 2006) and remember the title starting with "The Big .....something......" The protagonist was a boy with parents of whom the father had a gambling problem so the family was always either quite "rich" or seriously in debt. I can't remember why but they end up staying at a rather nice hotel (I think there was a blizzard going on as well but maybe I'm mixing up stories..). At some point - again, can't remember how - the boy gets sort of kidnapped by these other parents who have entered their daughter into this etiquette/beauty competition that is taking place at the hotel in which it is necessary to have a partner but something had happened to the original one. I only remember the rest of the story being about them forming a real friendship and trying to win the competition. Pretty sure it was set in the present day and somewhere in north america.
Would be great if anyone knew this book! thanks!

[Kym]

The Big Bazoohley by Peter Carey?

[Sophie]

+Kym
Ahh yes that’s it! Thank you!!

[Kym]

You’re welcome. This has been requested before, so it came up on a google search - site www.goodreads.com “young adult” father gambling, hotel, “contest”