The tradesman is a long-term resident of Mount Isa and – unsurprisingly – wants to keep his identity private. He said it will contribute to his retirement fund as he had no super. 

He would also provide for his family and would consider moving to a cooler sea climate where he could take up boating. 

“The biggest thing is I can give my kids a good education. I’d also love to buy a yacht and get back into sailing, which I did when I was younger,” the tradesman said.

It was almost 10 days since the Keno ticket was drawn at the Isa Hotel, giving rise to much speculation in the community that the ticket was lost for good. 

The ticket was drawn the evening before Anzac Day. The man went to Isa Hotel while waiting to pick up his children from the Mount Isa Cinema. Typically on Mondays the cinema is closed but it just so happened that it was open that night to show the first screening of Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2. 

He missed the moment his ticket was called up because he had to pick up his children. So he did not know until Anzac Day that all 10 of his numbers had been announced. 

The tradesman, who spoke directly to Keno representatives, said he sat on the ticket to ensure nobody figured out who he was. 

He even kept it a secret from his partner for a day. 

“I went online at about 1.30 in the afternoon, and double-checked it and triple-checked it. 

“I was at work and couldn’t sit still. I was sweating and fidgeting.

“It takes so long to sink in when it’s that much money. It’s unreal; It’s mind boggling,” he said. 

He chose his numbers randomly by crossing out 10 numbers as fast as he could. 

“There were none of these birthdays and special dates.” 

Keno spokesman David Dicker congratulated the winner, saying the team at Keno were thrilled to see another Mt Isa resident win a major jackpot.

North West Star