A Charters Towers man has begun happily hunting for his dream home after scoring a $250,000 Keno prize on the weekend.
The North Queenslander scored the $250,000 prize for matching 20 numbers on his Keno Classic 40 Spot entry in game 614 on Saturday 31 July 2021.
Speaking to a Keno official to confirm his prize, the winning man described how his unforgettable evening unfolded.
“I was just out with family going to dinner,” he explained.
“We never play a 40 Spot ticket; usually, it’s just a 1 Spot or 2 Spot. It was absolutely a spur of the moment thing.
“I remembered a family member won a bit on a 40 Spot Keno ticket years ago. So I said to my partner, ‘c’mon, let’s give it a go’. We sat down and just went cross, cross, cross with the pencil.
“I didn’t see the draw myself, but one of the family ran out to me and said, ‘you’d better come inside. I think you’ve won $250,000!’. I was like, ‘what?’.
“It was awesome!
“The next time we play, we’ll be playing those same numbers. They weren’t special then, but they are now!”
The winning man explained the Keno prize would go a long way towards helping his family buy their first home.
The winning entry was purchased at Stuart Hotel Motel, 322 Stuart Drive, Wulguru.
Stuart Hotel Motel manager Karen Dennis said it had been wonderful to be a part of such a life-changing event for one of their patrons.
“This is our first big Keno win!” she said.
“The atmosphere was electric with our winner celebrating with everyone.
“Word has spread quickly among our regular patrons, and everyone’s excited to see who can do it next.
“Our thoughts and best wishes are with our Keno winner for the exciting times ahead!”
In 2020, Keno players across the eastern states of mainland Australia celebrated more than 59.9 million wins collectively worth more than $840.6 million.