A Cairns man in his 30s is seeing a brighter future ahead, as he plans to use his recent $1.2 million Keno win to finally get that laser eye surgery he's been dreaming about.
The Far North Queenslander scored the Keno Classic 10 Spot jackpot in draw 428, drawn Saturday 19 October 2024 and takes home a total prize of $1,296,391.70.
The newly-minted millionaire was having a Saturday outing with his closest friends when he decided to play a game of Keno using birthdates and anniversary dates.
“It’s so surreal!” he laughed.
“I can’t come to grasps with it all. My friends and I were enjoying our Saturday when I decided to put a game of Keno on. I used some special birthdates and anniversaries.
“My mates kept nudging me to go up and see if I had won anything because we saw on the Keno screens that someone in the venue had won the jackpot.
“I said I’d wait and see if anyone in the venue would go up and claim it.
“Some time had passed, and I went online to check the ticket, and that’s when I saw every single number come up.
“I couldn’t believe it.
“I must admit, I’m a pretty simple man, so I’m looking to get laser eye surgery. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while now.
“I’ll maybe look to buy a new house and go on some holidays too.
“I love my job, so won’t be quitting anytime soon.
“Thank you so much!”
The man’s winning Keno Classic 10 Spot entry was purchased at Red Beret Hotel, 411 Kamerunga Road, Redlynch.
The Red Beret Hotel team said they couldn’t believe their venue had sold a $1.2 million ticket and wished their winner all the very best with their prize.
In FY24, Keno players across the eastern states of mainland Australia celebrated more than 78.5 million wins collectively worth more than $1.16 billion.
During this time, Keno crowned 18 millionaires and multi-millionaires who collectively took home more than $46.7 million. Nine of these major winners were Queenslanders, including a Kallangur man who won $8.45 million after scoring the Keno Classic and Keno Mega Millions 10 Spot jackpots in the one draw.
Queenslanders enjoyed more than 28.5 million Keno wins totalling more than $441.6 million at pubs and clubs across the state in FY24.