A MOUNT Isa boilermaker has become a millionaire overnight with a lucky win on Keno at the Isa Hotel.
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The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, has lived in Mount Isa for most of his life and said he played Keno at the Isa Hotel regularly.
The winner said he was doubly lucky to win the jackpot on Wednesday night, as he usually used five numbers, which consisted of his birthday, December 9, 1964 - 9, 12, 19, 6 and 4.
Instead, he said he randomly selected the numbers by going in a straight line down two sides of the Keno card - winning a $1,193,294 Keno jackpot.
``I'm stunned, like a rabbit in the headlights, it still hasn't set in,'' he said.
He plans to pay off and renovate his home and visit family in Finland at Christmas.
He said he would also love to travel Australia and spend time exploring the beaches and reefs of Western Australia.
Isa Hotel general manager Peter Sullivan said staff called him on his day off to notify him of the win.
``I thought they were having a lend of me.'' he said.
``Top Keno winners in the past have been around the $5000 mark.''
``It's absolutely fantastic to see The Isa Hotel making a local Mount Isa resident a millionaire.
``We just invested a lot of money renovating our hotel facilities and it's so great to see that it has returned the favour by giving a local customer more than a million dollars.''
At this stage the new millionaire plans to continue working.
``I want to be cautious. The last thing I want to do is blow it all, I want to be smart about it,'' he said.
The original ticket cost $20 and the win comes just three days before his 49th birthday.
It was the fourth million-plus Keno jackpot to be won in Queensland in just over a month, smashing all previous records.
The first in the incredible run of 10-number jackpots, worth $1.87 million, was won at the Sofitel Hotel on the Gold Coast on October 27, and the second, worth $1.22 million, was won on November 12 at the Hotel Monier in Darra, south-west of Brisbane.
The third in the record-breaking four-in-a-row jackpots, worth $1.11 million, was won by a Rockhampton couple on November 21 at Raffles Hotel.