A Manildra man is still shaking with excitement after landing a sensational $1.7 million Keno prize, admitting he’s struggling to calm his jitters as he dreams of all the possibilities that lie ahead for his family.
The Cabonne Shire resident scored the Keno Classic 10 Spot jackpot in draw 207, drawn Friday 11 October 2024 and won $1,747,357.00.
The New South Welshman didn’t realise he had won until his son gave him a call to tell him someone in the area had won the Keno Classic 10 Spot, and advised him to check his ticket as soon as possible.
“I feel numb, I can’t stop shaking,” he laughed.
“We visited Forbes on the weekend for something different and I decided to put a game of Keno on while we were visiting the Inn.
“I sort of didn’t know I had won. I had put the game on and left it for a bit.
“I then received a call from my son who told me that the Keno Classic 10 Spot jackpot went off and he asked if I had won it. I thought I didn’t win so I just said no.
“I then checked the ticket on the Keno app, and I couldn’t believe it. While my son always thinks he’s right, he was right this time!
“It was definitely a great trip into Forbes – my new favourite place!
“I can’t stop the shakes. I had a couple of celebratory beers to try and stop them.”
With $1.7 million opening the doors to a world of possibilities, the doting dad revealed he would start exploring some potential houses to buy for his family.
“We’re currently renting, and now we’ll be able to buy a house for the family,” he shared.
“This is really life-changing.”
His winning Keno Classic entry was purchased at Forbes Inn, 43 Rankin Street, Forbes.
The Forbes Inn duty manager Sharon Rossiter said there had been a real buzz in the venue when the $1.7 million prize was won.
‘It’s so exciting. There was a lot of hype when the 10 Spot went off in our venue, and everyone was wondering who might have won,” he said.
“We’ve had wins of $7,000 and $10,0000 but never anything like this. It’s a real milestone for Forbes Inn.
“Congratulations to the winner and we wish them all the very best with their million-dollar windfall.”
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. Eight of these major winners were from New South Wales and the ACT, including a Shelly Beach dad who scored a $5.92 million windfall.
Players in New South Wales and the ACT enjoyed more than 40.3 million Keno wins totalling more than $588.5 million across the region in FY24.