A Rockhampton man is already on the hunt for a new home with all the bells and whistles, plus a few toys to go with it after bagging more than $6.1 million in a recent Keno draw.
The Central Queensland player held a Keno Mega Millions 10 Spot winning entry in draw 951, drawn Sunday 23 October 2022 and took home a total prize of $6,131,085.20.
However, the winning ticket was unregistered, which means officials from Keno were unable to reach out to the merry man until he checked his ticket and started the prize claim process.
“It hasn’t hit me yet! I think I’m still in a state of shock,” he confessed when confirming his incredible win with an official from Keno.
“I never watch the draws but woke up this morning and thought, ‘It’s my day off. I may as well check this entry and see if I’ve won a few bob.’
“Turns out, I won a bit more than that!
“These numbers are very special to me and are numbers I’ve played for decades. It’s amazing that they came up for me.
“I’ve already been looking at buying property and can’t wait to buy a new home.
“Then I’ll treat myself to a few toys, I think – maybe a motorbike or new car. Who knows!
“Finally, I’ll make sure my family are set up for the rest of their lives. An amount like this means I can do a lot to help everyone.”
When asked whether or not retirement beckoned following his life-changing win, the Rockhampton winner said he’d keep working for now but wasn’t sure what his future would bring.
“I’ll take it day by day and be back to work when I need to be,” he said.
“I don’t know what the future holds, though, so I’m just going to enjoy the moment and see where this leads.”
His winning entry was purchased at Rockhampton Leagues Club, Cambridge Street, Rockhampton.
Rockhampton Leagues Club General Manager Russell Reeves said it was incredibly exciting to have sold a another major Keno winning entry.
“It’s fantastic isn’t it! We’ve had a number of big wins in the past, but nothing as large as this,” he said.
“Everyone within and around the club has been so excited since it happened.
“We’d like to congratulate our winner and wish them all the best for the future. We hope this win makes all your dreams a reality.”
In FY22, Keno players across the eastern states of mainland Australia celebrated more than 62.2 million wins collectively worth more than $896.7 million.