A Longreach man has bagged more than just some bread and milk while out grocery shopping –he also pocketed a $1.2 million Keno win.
The Outback Queensland player held a Keno Classic 10 Spot winning entry in draw 436, drawn Thursday 6 January 2021. His total prize was $1,228,916.00.
“As you can imagine, I’m over the moon!’ he laughed when speaking with an official from Keno.
“I wasn’t at the venue when the win went off. I’d just stopped in quickly while I was grocery shopping.
“When I’d gotten home, one of my friends came over and told me the 10 Spot had gone off, and they thought I was the winner.
“I thought they were pulling a prank on me or something! I kept saying, ‘You’re pulling my leg! Is this a new April Fool’s thing?’.
“But then I headed to the venue later, and they confirmed I really was the winner. I couldn’t bloody believe it.
“They had to pick me up off the floor! This is a dream come true.
“I’ve been playing these same numbers for years and years and never won anything like this. It’s crazy!
“I’m a millionaire! It’s bloody good!”
The overjoyed man shared his retirement plans were suddenly looking up after his million-dollar win.
“I’m going to use my prize to set myself up for the future and to have a great retirement,” he shared.
“I have family, so I’ll share some with them too. There will definitely be a few holidays as well.
“I’ve always wanted a motorbike, so I’d like to get my dream bike!
“Tonight, we’ll have a big family dinner to celebrate.”
The winning entry was purchased at The Longreach Tavern, 103 Eagle St, Longreach.
The Longreach Tavern manager Michael Trad said his entire team was celebrating the win.
“It’s an incredible win, not just for our winner, but also for the tavern and our small community,” he shared.
“News like this spreads fast, and our patrons always get so excited when a big win goes off.
“Our team was so happy when the winner came in and scanned his ticket. He’s very deserving, and we wish him all the best with his prize.
“Hopefully, we have some more big Keno wins soon! It’s awesome!”
In the 12 months to 30 June 2021, Keno players across the eastern states of mainland Australia celebrated more than 64 million wins collectively worth more than $853 million.