After marking his Keno entry with the same numbers for 20 years, a Hervey Bay holidaymaker has been stunned to see them finally drawn, delivering him a $53,000 windfall.
The Queenslander, visiting the Wide Bay region from Logan, held a Keno Classic 8 Spot winning entry in draw 608, drawn Sunday 26 December 2021. His total prize was $53,236.00.
“It’s been a big day,” the man exclaimed when confirming his win with an official from Keno.
“We’ve been playing those numbers for 20 years. We’ve won a few small prizes, but nothing like this.
“My wife and I don’t often watch the draws, but we happened to be sitting right in front of the screen when they came up. The numbers come up one by one… bang, bang, bang!
“My wife was in tears. It’s not something that happens every day.
“I was a bit nervous at the time. I’ve always had this nightmare that our numbers would come up in a draw I didn’t have a ticket in. My first thought was, ‘if I didn’t put the numbers on for this draw, she’ll kill me!’. But thankfully, they were. I was one relieved man.
“This is life-changing for us. It’s been a crappy year.
“This will make a huge difference. We’ve already extended our holiday here now that we’re richer. We’re also going to put it on our mortgage.”
The winning entry was purchased at Torquay Hotel, Cnr Esplanade and Bideford Street, Torquay.