The first $1,000,000 Keno winner in the game’s 30-year history was awarded in Massachusetts earlier this week.
The ticket holder purchased the winning ticket in Pittsfield and claimed their prize in Wednesday’s Keno game.
Keno is a game offered by the Massachusetts Lottery, and the $1 million prize was a record for the state. MA initially began offering Keno back in 1993.
Massive odds
The $1 million winner played the 12-spot game with numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, which carries odds of winning of 1 in 478,261,833, according to the Massachusetts State Lottery.
In Keno, players select up to 12 numbers from 1-80. You must match all your numbers to win. The more you match, the more you win.
The complete set of winning numbers for the March 22 game was: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 24, 28, 31, 44, 53, 71, and 75.
The fact that all numbers 1-12 were chosen was unusual, as noted by Mark William Bracken, the Interim Executive Director of the Massachusetts State Lottery.
“While a rare occurrence, it demonstrates that the chances of consecutive numbers being selected are the same as the chances of any other set of numbers,” Bracken said in a press release from the MSL .
There is also a $250,000 winner who selected numbers 1-11 and four $100,000 winners who selected numbers 1-10 for Wednesday’s game. The half-million prize-winning ticket was sold in Taunton, and the four $100,000 tickets were purchased in Ashland, MA, East Falmouth, and Newton.
The ticket that led to the first $1,000,000 prize in Keno in Massachusetts history was purchased at Zenner’s Pub & Deli, located at 303 Tyler Street in Pittsfield.
For selling the $1 million winning Keno ticket, Zenner’s Pub & Deli will be awarded $10,000. Other locations that sold tickets of $100,000 to $500,000 receive $1,000 or $5,000 bonuses.
Lottery players who win an amount in excess of $103,000 must claim their winnings at the Massachusetts Lottery headquarters. The names of the winners are not required to be disclosed.
What is Keno?
Keno is an ancient game invented in China over 3,500 years ago. It was first introduced as a lottery game option in Massachusetts in 1993.
The original game used a grid of 120 characters. But the modern Keno lottery game is based on a grid of 80 squares or numbers.
Players must choose the number of spots they want for each game. The more spots you match, the more you can win.
In most areas, Keno is played on certain days of the week, typically with new draws every few minutes. The Massachusetts State Lottery holds a new Keno drawing once every 4 minutes between 5:04 a.m. and 1 a.m.
It is similar to bingo because players can start anew even after failing to win the previous Keno draw.
If you or even a loved one is definitely experiencing difficulties with gambling, contact 1-800-327-5050 or even visit www.mahelpline.org/problemgambling to speak with an experienced specialist free of charge, 24/7
Dan Sherlock is a Staff Writer for PlayMA with plenty of experience under his belt. Dan has written three books about sports and previously worked for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Major League Baseball. He also has substantial experience in the launch of sports betting in other states, including Ohio and Maryland. Currently, Dan is residing in Michigan with his family.
