Keno

If you like playing the lottery, then you’re going to LOVE keno! This famed online game is quickly becoming a new casino classic. Traditional keno began in live casinos as a side game. Keno was often something players engaged in while eating in the cafe or waiting for their preferred machine, but online keno takes the basic appeal of the game and amplifies it.

Online keno is very similar to bingo, but keno definitely has its own unique identity. The game traces its origins to China over 2,000 years ago. The modern keno variation features 80 balls numbered 1-80. These balls are typically placed in a glass sphere. Once all bets are placed, the “race” begins, and a blowing mechanism draws 20 balls from the sphere. In online keno, some casinos animate the process while others only display them on a designated area of each player’s game screen. This makes it easy to track the progress of each keno race and even to play other games at the same time.

Unlike bingo where each player is given a card with randomly selected numbers, in keno players will select the specific numbers that they want to play (kind of like you do with a lottery ticket). You may select anywhere from 1 to 20 “spots” on your keno card. Again, unlike bingo you are not paid for specific line combinations but for the number of spots that are hit (or in some cases not hit). The odds of hitting all 20 balls drawn border on the impossible, but casino’s offer very attractive payouts for other hit combinations (called “catches”).

In keno, the object is not always to hit the most spots possible, but to get the catch with the most difficult odds. For example, if you select 20 numbers then you have approximately a 23% chance of hitting five of those numbers. These are the best odds in keno, and thus hitting five spots pays nothing. On the other hand, if you hit no spots at all – the odds of which are less than 1% – then you will be rewarded handsomely. Of course the pay table varies from one casino to the next, so be sure to find one that most appeals to your playing style.

You can buy a single keno ticket or reserve the same spots for multiple consecutive races. The keno ticket will show all 80 numbers, and you will mark 1-20 of them with your mouse, accept your choices, and place your bet. Most online keno games are run at specified intervals; it’s easy to find the time of the next keno race just by checking the casino’s keno page. Like most number drawing games, live and online keno are games of chance, but it’s the concept of luck that appeals to so many loyal keno players. In many cases, live keno requires the same diligence as a game of roulette. If you’re not present to claim your wins, then you’re not going to get them. This is where online keno offers a clear advantage. Choose your spots, place your bet, and even if your connection drops mid-race the casino will credit you for any wins…no keno ticket required.