Newcastle man wins $328K Keno prize in Kirra
Newcastle visitor wins $328,260 Keno jackpot at Kirra Beach Hotel during final night of Gold Coast holiday.
What’s happening?
A Newcastle man has wrapped up his Kirra holiday with a $328,260.70 Keno jackpot win after playing during dinner on the Gold Coast.
The New South Wales resident won the Keno Classic 9 Spot jackpot in Keno draw 887 on Tuesday 19 May 2026.
His winning ticket was purchased at Kirra Beach Hotel on the corner of Marine Parade and Miles Street.
The winner said he first collected a small $9 prize before replaying the ticket for another nine games.
“Afterwards we had dinner, so I didn’t see the draw. I checked my ticket and I actually thought the machine was broken at first,” he said.
“Finally, we realised how much I’d won and my wife and I just started crying.”
The man said the money would help the couple prepare for retirement after recent health problems affected their finances.
“It’s really going to help us a lot. We’ll be putting it straight to retirement,” he said.
Why it matters?
The prize delivered a major financial boost for the couple after several difficult years linked to health issues.
The result also adds another big Keno win to Queensland’s growing list of jackpot stories.
Local Impact
Kirra Beach Hotel is the latest Gold Coast venue to sell a major Keno winning entry.
The win adds another talking point for the busy southern Gold Coast precinct as visitors continue flowing through Kirra venues.
By the numbers
Keno players across eastern mainland states recorded more than 78 million wins worth over $1.2 billion during 2025.
Queenslanders collected more than 28 million Keno wins valued at over $466.5 million in pubs and clubs across the state in 2025.
Seventeen Keno millionaires and multi millionaires shared more than $40.8 million across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT during 2025.
Zoom In
The winner said the noise inside the pub made it difficult to understand what had happened at first.
“Next minute, the team member said, ‘You’ve won!’. It was that noisy in the pub. I couldn’t hear what was going on,” he said.
The couple celebrated the result together before preparing to return home to Newcastle.
Zoom Out
Keno is played in around 3,500 pubs and clubs across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT.
Draws take place about every three minutes, with players matching numbers from one to 80 for the chance to win major jackpots.
What To Look For Next?
More Queensland venues are expected to celebrate major Keno wins as jackpots continue landing across pubs and clubs during 2026.