Take a look at the biggest Keno wins of all time as we break down five of the most outrageous wins in the history of the game.
Keno is a game that can turn huge profits for those who get lucky. For just a few dollars, players choose their own numbers and play for keno jackpots that can reach tens of millions.
We have picked out five of the biggest keno wins ever, with each telling their own incredible story. For those who are unsure if you can win big playing keno, this list puts it beyond doubt, with some monstrous prize pots.
On our list of the biggest Keno winners of all time are three Las Vegas trips, and two winners in Australia. From professional gamblers to a nurse’s aide who won bigger than anyone, this list has people from all walks of life.
Top Five Biggest Keno Wins Of All Time
1. “Eddie” – $6.4 million
The biggest keno win in history came in the world’s gambling capital, Las Vegas. The lucky punter was a nurse’s aide who went only by the name “Eddie”.
Using his wife and kids’ birthdays to select his numbers, Eddie won a $6.4 million jackpot. Choosing to stay anonymous, he kept clear of the media attention after his win, citing his family’s privacy and safety as the reason he kept himself anonymous.
His huge jackpot is still the biggest Keno win ever recorded.
2. “Kallangur Man” – $5.3 million (AU$8 million)
Another anonymous winner, a man from the city of Kallangur in Queensland, Australia is second on our list. Much is made of keno strategy and methodology, but he won by ripping up all the rules.
Against all ‘expert’ advice, “Kallangur man” selected the exact same numbers for two separate games. Although the two games shared the same draw, usual strategy advises different entries use different numbers.
But that advice soon proved unfounded as the man’s numbers came up, meaning he won the jackpot on both entires. With one prize of AU$1.7m and another of AU$6.7m, his combined payout equated to around $5.3m, and the biggest keno win in Australian history.
Speaking about his win, he said: “Everyone thought I was crazy for playing the same numbers in both games. Well, they didn’t win AU$8m!”.
3. Anonymous Winner – $5.23 million (AU$7.9 million)
Another Australian, a 43-year-old anonymous man won almost AU$7.9m ($5.23m) in New South Wales in 2018.
Entering the draw 13 times, the winner spent just two dollars per entry. One of those entries matched ten numbers, earning him the huge jackpot.
At the time, his was the biggest keno win in Australian history, before being overtaken by Kallangur man.
Despite becoming an overnight millionaire, the winner didn’t plan on letting it change him.
He said: “I’m a laid-back person, so I’m just going to stay the same”.
4. Zeljko Ranogajec – $5 million (AU$7.5 million)
One of the most famous gamblers in the world, Zeljko Ranogajec gained infamy for his huge keno wins in the 1990’s.
After returning from LAs Vegas, Ranogajec and his team became prolific keno players. Their group were alleged to have bought 90% of keno tickets available in New South Wales at one point.
In 1994, his efforts paid off, winning a AU$7.5m ($5m) jackpot. While a huge prize, it’s less impressive if you believe reports that he was spending close to $1m a day on keno tickets in the build up to his big win.
5. Honourable Mention – Jarred Johnson
Although nowhere near as big a jackpot as the others on this list, we couldn’t ignore this particular win. The odds of winning any lottery or keno game are stacked against the player, so to do it twice is beyond incredible.
But that’s exactly what Tennessee native Jarred Johnson did. On one of his regular trips to Vegas, a barman suggested Johnson should try his hand at video slots.
He even picked five of the numbers that Johnson should go for. Jarred took the advice, going on a win streak that earned him $140,000.
Already a great story, things got even better for Jarred a month later. The luck continued on his return to Vegas, where he won the same $140,000 jackpot, at the same machine, with the exact same numbers!
If anything proves Vegas creates some of the best stories ever, its Jarred’s miraculous double win.
And in case you want to try and find the same machine on a trip to Las Vegas, Jarred’s numbers were: 8, 9, 10, 18, 19, 20, 29.
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