A Longreach man's retirement plans are looking up after he got the news that he'd won $1.2 million on Keno while he was picking up some groceries on Thursday morning.
He'd stopped in at the Longreach Tavern while he was shopping and wasn't at the pub when the win went off.
The man, who doesn't want to be identified, said a friend came over after he'd arrived back home to tell him the 10 spot game had gone off and they thought it was his entry.
He thought they were having a joke with him at first but the win, $1,228,916, was confirmed when he returned to the venue later.
"They had to pick me up off the floor! This is a dream come true," he said. "I've been playing these same numbers for years and years and never won anything like this. It's crazy."
The win comes two months after a Roma man working at Blackall won $1.9m on Keno at the Barcoo Hotel.
The overjoyed Longreach man said he would use his prize to set himself up for the future and to have a great retirement.
"I have family, so I'll share some with them too," he said.
"There will definitely be a few holidays as well.
"I've always wanted a motorbike, so I'd like to get my dream bike.
"Tonight, we'll have a big family dinner to celebrate."
Longreach Tavern manager Michael Trad said his entire team was celebrating the win.
"It's incredible, not just for our winner, but also for the tavern and our small community," he said.
"News like this spreads fast, and our patrons always get so excited when a big win goes off.
"Our team was so happy when the winner came in and scanned his ticket. He's very deserving, and we wish him all the best with his prize."
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