Keno is similar to lottery, out of 80 numbers punters can pick anything from one up to ten numbers (even more). The Keno machine then selects 20 numbers randomly, prizes will be won according to the amount of numbers you catch or hit.
Some games pay nothing if you manage to hit the expected percentage of numbers, but offer prizes if you hit less or more and, the biggest prizes if you hit the largest numbers.
At one stage Keno was a very popular low-stake gambling option amongst wives and girlfriends who wanted to sit down and relax while the men were working away at the coal-face of gambling-the Craps or Blackjack tables (Vegas was extremely sexist in the old days). In a normal Keno lounge waitresses would offer drinks, hand out Keno tickets and collect small stakes. The Keno numbers would be selected using a bucket of numbered balls, either picked or spewed out by the machine, and called out by a Keno caller. This is pretty much the same as a Bingo caller but without the names for the various numbers and the cheeky banter.
In a Vegas casino you’ll note electronic displays on the walls indicating which Keno game is in play, how long it is until the next draw, and the numbers selected by the machine. Each table has a small container containing Keno forms and pencils.
Since Keno is usually played for small stakes, players will notice that winning at Keno can be far and few between. The reason for this is that Keno has a very high house edge. This depends upon the bets available and the house payouts, the house edge varies between 20 and 30 percent which is very steep indeed!
Of all the casino games offered in Vegas Keno it is not the most popular, as a matter of fact there’s an old joke about it: “Where do you go if there is a thunderstorm and you are worried about the lightning? The Keno Lounge since nothing gets hit in there!”
Keno Machines
In Las Vegas Keno machines are beginning to make their presence felt, since the idea of a lottery game is becoming more popular in global casinos. The good news is that the odds of Keno machines are significantly better than a Bingo-styled game. Coupled with sounds and flashing lights the machines will get you playing at a reasonably fast rate, and tempt you to play higher stakes too. Since the machines seem to be taking between 5 percent and 15% of the punter’s cash in the long run, this is a sure way to lose your bankroll pretty quickly-unless you hit the jackpot.
Playing Keno at Internet Casinos
Truth be told, Keno offers players slightly better odds at internet casinos than at land-based casinos. When playing at online casinos this is one of the few casino games that count 100% toward the wagering requirements for the welcome bonus offered, since Keno has a high house edge. The other games are Slots and Scratch Cards.
To win at Keno you must choose more numbers to improve your winning chances. If you’re wagering at Video Keno and out of the 80 numbers the machine draws, the more numbers it has to draw the better are your chances of winning.
We suggest you give Keno a go, always remember that it’s a random game and based purely on luck. At the end of the day you’ll lose more than you’ll win even if you lower the house edge when you play more numbers. Alternatively you could purchase more tickets on the same draw hoping that ten out of all the tickets will allow you to win something. Keno has an infinite number of outcomes even for multiple tickets; we suggest you study the odds before playing it.
When playing Keno online the Keno ticket appears in the centre of the panel. It comprises of two sections, just like in land-based casinos, the numbers 1 to 40 are in the top half and the numbers 41 to 80 in the bottom half. The payout table is indicated on the left. The top cell indicates the number of spots selected and the corresponding payout table is showcased just below it. The payout table automatically adjusts as the number of spots selected changes. The outcome is displayed on the right of the online keno ticket.
The majority of punters who wager at internet casinos prefer to play Keno with all 15 spots marked. For up to two hits the 15 spot payout table in internet keno does not pay and 0.5 is the payout ratio for three hits. Ten thousand constitutes the payout ratio for 15 hits. It’s possible that a $5 bet can win you as much as $50,000.
