A Smithfield man bagged more than just milk and bread during his regular grocery shop after scoring a $52,000 Keno win in a recent draw.
The chirpy Cairns resident scored the Keno Classic 8 Spot jackpot in draw 227, drawn Saturday 18 January 2025. He pocketed a total of $52,778.70.
The winning man was still buzzing with excitement when an official from Keno called him to confirm the newfound fortune.
“I’m ecstatic! I’m having a great time today,” he said.
“I was out doing groceries when I put my Keno numbers on. I wasn’t at the venue when my numbers came up, so I had no idea.
“I checked later online, and I couldn’t stop looking. I kept questioning it and thinking ‘Was that really me that won?’.
“I’m glad to have it confirmed now.
“Thank you very much.”
Still in shock from the win, the cheerful man shared he’d take some time to let it sink in before making any immediate decisions on what he’d do with the prize.
“I’ll let the news of the win settle first before I decide what to do,” he said.
“I think I’ll pay some bills and put the most of it in my bank account and go from there.”
His winning Keno Classic entry was purchased from Smithfield Tavern, Smithfield Shopping Centre, Cnr Kennedy & Cook Highways, Smithfield.
Smithfield Tavern spokesperson Tom Hamilton said the team was so excited to see one of their patrons win big.
“We’ve been celebrating at the venue and telling everyone we’ve sold a major Keno prize,” he said.
“Lots of people have been so excited to hear that one of our patrons has won. Everyone’s hoping it is them next time!
“Congratulations to our winner! We wish them 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