The end of 2023 saw two dedicated Keno players become millionaires, setting each up for a bright 2024 and beyond.
Keno is a game where a random set of 20 numbers are selected from one to 80. Players win when their selected numbers match those drawn.
A draw occurs roughly every three minutes, and there are a few variations on the game, such as Keno Mega Millions, and players can also win through a monthly second chance draw.
Keno is played in over 3,500 Victorian, Queensland, ACT and New South Wales clubs and pubs, and is also available via an app for Victorian and ACT residents.
The Tweed Heads winner initially did not realise he held the winning ticket, ironically feeling jealous when the prize was announced at the new Twin Towns Juniors Club where he was dining.
Due to the excitement, he had believed someone else won the prize and left the venue. Later a friend advised him to check his ticket, and it was only then he discovered his win.
After playing Keno and lotteries with the same numbers for over two decades, he was shocked when the numbers awarded him $1,779,864 through his Keno Classic 10 Spot entry in draw 634.
The winner told a Keno official that he would be paying off his mortgage and helping his children.
“That’s a life-changing amount of money, and we’re all so excited that it was won here! We’re glad to hear it’s one of our locals”, said Chris Mullen, Twin Towns Juniors manager.
Not long after, a Shelly Beach resident scored the Keno Mega Millions 10 Spot prize in draw 167, taking home a whopping total prize of $5,923,516.80.
This was the second-biggest jackpot prize in Keno for 2023.
The winning ticket was purchased at Shelly Beach Golf Club, where the local dad had been spending time with mates.
Overwhelmed, the keen Keno Mega Millions player left the club to comprehend his fortune.
“I’m stoked, but it’s a lot to wrap my head around,” he told a Keno official.
Like the Tweed Heads winner, he is also eager to help out his adult children.
Shelly Beach Golf Club staff were thrilled to have played their part in a local’s good fortune.
Throughout 2023, Keno players across mainland Australia’s eastern states celebrated well over 95 million wins, collectively worth more than $1.34 billion, creating 20 new millionaires and multi-millionaires, who together took home more than $46 million.
