A Penrith Keno player has confessed he’s still in a daze after scoring a Keno jackpot of more than half-a-million dollars this afternoon at his favourite local pub.
The Western Sydney man held a Keno 9 Spot winning entry in game 722 on Thursday 18 April 2019, scoring $507,918.20.
Confirming his life-changing win with a Keno official just after he snagged the jackpot prize, the man revealed he couldn’t quite believe his good fortune.
“I’m in shock!” he laughed.
“I feel amazing of course!
“When I play Keno I always use the same nine numbers!
“Those numbers are based on special birthdays and other important numbers in my life.
“I’ve been playing them for about two years.
“I was sitting there at the venue when I saw six of my numbers pop up and I thought ‘beauty’, then I saw the seventh number and then the eighth.
“After the eighth number I was in a complete daze. I couldn’t believe it!
“Then bang, I jagged the Keno 9 Spot jackpot!
“It was amazing!”
The ecstatic winner revealed he had come close to missing out on his mind-blowing windfall this afternoon.
“I was at the pub having lunch and thought I’d put a game on before taking some lunch to my girlfriend,” he explained.
“Talk about a stroke of luck at the right moment!”
The New South Wales player said he’d need to let the enormity of his win sink in before deciding how to use his jackpot prize.
“It will help so much,” he said.
“I would love to buy a new car but I need to sit down and think about how I’ll use the rest.
“I’ll certainly celebrate this exciting day!
“It’s unreal! I don’t know what to do with myself!”
The winner, who wishes to remain anonymous, purchased his entry from Overlander Hotel Motel, 180 Richmond Road, Cambridge Gardens.
Overlander Hotel Motel duty manager Sue Waters said the venue was celebrating selling the Keno jackpot winning entry.
“The gentleman was very, very happy,” she laughed.
“We’re all so excited. He’s one of our regulars and a lovely gentleman.
“He watched the game and said ‘Sue, I think I have nine numbers!’. He just couldn’t believe it.
“It was just fantastic. It’s always since to see a customer win.
“I got goose bumps seeing him win more than half-a-million dollars at our venue!”
In 2018, Keno crowned 16 millionaires and multi-millionaires who collectively took home more than $36.47 million. Ten of these major winners were from New South Wales and the ACT.
New South Wales players win $43.26 million on average each month playing Keno in pubs and clubs across the state.
Last year in New South Wales alone, players bought 43.26 million Keno tickets and won $519.06 million in cash prizes, including 973 individual 7, 8, 9, and 10 Spot jackpot prizes.