A Helensburgh man has declared his life has been transformed after a Keno game on Friday yielded him a $1.9 million win.
The Illawarra region player held a Keno Classic 10 Spot winning entry in game 932 played on Friday 16 October 2020 and scored $1,997,059.10.
Confirming his prize with a Keno official shortly after his win, the elated man revealed he wasn’t even in the venue when his winning numbers were drawn.
“I had a few games left to play on my ticket, but I had left the hotel and come home,” he said.
“Then I got a phone call from a mate of mine saying it had gone off and someone had won it. They were still looking for the winner and thought it might be me.
“When I went back to the hotel, sure enough, it was me. Everyone went ballistic and off their head! I’m in shock.
“So I wasn’t even there when it all happened!
“To say this has changed my life is an enormous understatement. It’s been a very tough year.”
The regular Keno player shared he won the prize with numbers he’d been using on his Keno tickets for over a week.
“I’ve been playing the same numbers for about the last week and a half – just a Kwikpik, so they’re just random numbers,” he explained.
“I won $59 on Monday with these numbers, so I just replayed them today and won $79. I replayed them before leaving the hotel, and I think I won on the second last game on the ticket. It’s just luck mate, I tell you!”
With almost $2 million about to land in his bank account, the winner plans to take a breath before making any firm plans, but immediate retirement and helping his family are firmly on the cards.
“It’s come at a very good time,” he laughed.
“In all honesty mate, you can’t imagine what it’s done to my life.”
The player, who wishes to remain anonymous, purchased his winning Keno Classic 10 Spot ticket at Helensburgh Hotel, 112 Parkes Street, Helensburgh.
Between 1 July 2019 and 30 June 2020, Keno players across the eastern states of mainland Australia celebrated more than 58.4 million wins collectively worth more than $776.79 million.
During this time, Keno crowned 17 millionaires and multi-millionaires who collectively took home more than $38.72 million. Ten of these major winners were from New South Wales and the ACT, including a Newcastle woman who was stunned to pocket a Keno Mega Millions 10 Spot prize of more than $5.4 million.
Players in New South Wales and the ACT enjoyed more than 26.69 million Keno wins totalling more than $386.39 million in the 12 months to 30 June 2020.