A delayed surgery has delivered an unexpected silver lining for an unwell Cairns man, who turned a night away from hospital into a $141,000 Keno win.
The North Queenslander scored the Keno Classic 9 Spot jackpot in Keno draw 184, drawn Wednesday 27 May 2026. He took home a total prize of $141,752.80.
The major Keno win went unnoticed for more than 10 days, as the winning man remained in hospital and was unable to check his ticket.
“It’s strange how it all worked out,” he said when speaking with an official from Keno.
“I’ve been halfway between hospital and life for a while now.
“I was supposed to go in for surgery a couple of weeks back, and then at the last minute it got cancelled.
“It was State of Origin night, so I said to my wife, ‘Let’s head to the local hotel and watch the game.’.
“That’s when I bought the winning ticket. It was just a random Keno Classic 9 Spot ticket.
“I couldn’t check the ticket that night, and I only just got the chance to check it and discover the win the other day.
“Astonishing how things work out. It’s going to make a huge difference in my life.
“I’ll be able to focus on my recovery and get things back on track. It’ll be good.”
His winning Keno Classic entry was purchased at Tom’s Tavern, 186 Nathan Street, Aitkenvale.