What’s happening?
A young Toowoomba man has celebrated his birthday weekend with a life -changing win, becoming a newly minted millionaire.
The Darling Downs local scored a jackpot in a draw on 22 February 2026.
His winning entry was purchased at The Southern Hotel, 839 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba.
He was one of three Queenslanders to land the same jackpot over the weekend.
Why it matters
The win adds to a strong year for players and shows how a casual birthday flutter can shift someone’s future.
The young winner said the prize would help him clear debts and invest.
When an official called him, he was still stunned.
“It’s amazing! I didn’t know what to do when it happened. I was thinking to myself, ‘This can’t be real!’,” he laughed.
Local impact
The win shines a light on a local pub where a small birthday bet turned into a major payday.
It also reinforces Queensland’s strong run of winners in recent years.
By the numbers
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$1,049,368.60 was the total prize from the draw on 22 February 2026, after a $10 ticket using his birthday numbers.
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78 million wins worth more than $1.2 billion were recorded across the eastern mainland states in 2025.
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Queenslanders claimed more than 28 million wins totalling over $466.5 million in 2025, while 17 millionaires and multi-millionaires nationally shared $40.8 million.
Zoom in
The winner said he did not realise straight away that he had won big.
“I didn’t even know that I had won. It wasn’t until I went to the bathroom that I remembered to check my ticket,” he said.
“The team member who checked the ticket gave me an interesting look and said, ‘Do you know how much you’ve won?’.”
“I didn’t think anything of it and said, ‘You can just put it on my next ticket.’”
“That’s when he went to get his manager to confirm, and I realised I’d actually won $1 million; I just couldn’t believe it.”
He added, “I don’t play Keno all that often, but it was my birthday weekend, and I had $10 in my wallet, so I thought I’d have a go.”
“I actually used my birthday numbers on the ticket, too. It’s an unreal present.”
“I’ll be able to pay off some things and invest. It’ll set me up.”
Zoom out
In 2025, players across the eastern states of mainland Australia celebrated more than 78 million wins worth over $1.2 billion.
Seventeen millionaires and multi-millionaires were crowned during the year, collectively taking home more than $40.8 million.
Three of those major winners were Queenslanders, including a Biggera Waters man who won $4.4 million.
What to look for next?
Attention will now turn to upcoming Keno draws as players across Queensland hope for similar luck.
For Toowoomba locals, this birthday jackpot will be talked about for some time.