A Mountain Creek woman was left shaking like a leaf after looking up at the perfect time to see all nine of her Keno numbers on the screen, delivering her a win of more than $150,000.
The Queenslander scored the Keno Classic 9 Spot Jackpot in draw 405, drawn Friday 2 August 2024, and can look forward to a total prize of $152,897.20.
“It’s life-changing for me! I’m still in shock!” she laughed while speaking to a Keno official.
“I’m not going to lie, I’ve had a lot of setbacks, and this is really going to help me out.
“I was with my sister, and I wasn’t really watching the screen, but something prompted me to look up at just the right time.
“I saw all but one of my numbers on the screen, then at the last moment, the final one popped up!
“I just stood there shaking. I had to put my drink down before I spilt it.
“Everyone couldn’t believe it. The venue was bursting with excitement. My sister started swearing her head off.
“When I got home, I called my best friend, and she was so happy for me that she started crying.
“It’s amazing. It’s going to set me up immensely.”
When asked how she planned to use her newfound fortune, the gleeful winner already had a few ideas in mind.
“I’ll give some to my children, pay off my car and invest the rest,” she said.
“I’d love to go on a holiday too. I’m not sure where to yet, maybe Hawaii!”
The winning entry was purchased at The Creek Tavern, 172 Karawatha Dr, Mountain Creek.
The Creek Tavern venue manager Damien Strong said he and his team couldn’t be more excited for their winning customer.
“We’re so happy for our winner. She was absolutely numb with excitement!” he said.
“It was a great day! The atmosphere was surreal, and everyone was buzzing with enthusiasm.
“We’ve been sharing the great news with customers and decorating the venue with signs.
“Everyone is very happy for us and the winner. Congratulations to her and we wish you all the best with your prize.”
In 2023, Keno players across the eastern states of mainland Australia celebrated more than 67.31 million wins collectively worth more than $1 billion.
During this time, Keno crowned 21 millionaires and multi-millionaires who collectively took home more than $51.5 million. Seven 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 21.79 million Keno wins totalling more than $349.14 million at pubs and clubs across the state in 2023.