In what is believed to be an Australian first, a Queensland man’s unique way of playing Keno has yielded him two major jackpots worth more than $8 million in a single draw.
The man, from Kallangur in the Moreton Bay region, held a Keno Classic 10 Spot winning entry and a Keno Mega Millions 10 Spot winning entry in draw 7 on Thursday 3 August 2023.
The Keno Classic 10 Spot entry scored $1,720,431.50, while the Keno Mega Millions 10 Spot entry won $6,730,470.50. His total windfall was $8,450,902.
While Keno Classic and Keno Mega Millions are two separate games with separate jackpots, the winning numbers are generated from the same draw.
By playing his special set of numbers in both games in the same draw, he won both jackpots simultaneously.
“It’s been hectic!” the winning man exclaimed when an official from Keno spoke to him after his double win.
“It’s unreal at this stage. It’s still got to sink in!
“People have often asked, ‘why do you take the same numbers in two different games?’, but I’ve always done that.
“Everyone thought I was crazy for playing the same numbers in both games. Well, they didn’t win $8 million!
“I’ve played these numbers for I don’t know how long. It’s our birthdays, children’s birthdays, our retirement ages – numbers like that.
“If they’re your lucky numbers, why don’t you play them in both draws? If you’re going to win it, you’re going to win it. When your numbers come up, they come up.
“I was happily enjoying myself at the club, when someone said, ‘Oh, the Keno jackpot’s gone off here’. Then he said, ‘hang on a minute, the Keno Classic and Keno Mega Millions jackpots have gone off here!’.
“My wife was a few seats away and she said, ‘did you get a ticket?’.
“The moment I heard both the jackpots had gone off, I thought, ‘sh**! That could be me!’. How many other people would take the same numbers in both games? The chances of that would be slim.
“I went to check my ticket and the rest is history.
“I’ve had a drink to celebrate and calm my nerves.
“This will really help us enjoy retirement and I’ll definitely be sharing it with my children and family.”
The Queenslander’s winning entries were purchased at Norths Leagues and Services Club, 1347 Anzac Avenue, Kallangur.