Keno

How to Play Keno Online

Playing keno online is relatively simple. Let’s take a quick look at the steps.

Pick a Keno Game and Familiarize Yourself with It

Check the game library and look into what keno games are on offer. Don’t worry; they all follow the simple basic premise of keno, with slight tweaks here and there. Only the graphics, theme, and animations differ in most cases.

Choose the title you like and load it. Before playing, look around the main game window and check the gameplay mechanics. Read the rules and check payouts in the paytable. If the site lets you play the game’s demo version, try it out before you start using real money.

Pick Your Numbers

To play a real-money keno game, you need to pick the size of your bet and the numbers you want to wager on. Bear in mind that the results are entirely random, so you can select any numbers you want.

You don’t have to pick the maximum number of digits if you don’t want to or you’re looking to play it safe by going with smaller stakes and chasing smaller wins. Also, you can let the game choose numbers for you automatically.

Let the Draw Begin

Once you’ve made your selection, you can move on to the draw phase.

The system will start drawing numbers just like a real-world lottery. However, your chances are better here as more numbers are drawn than picked.

You must wait until all the numbers have been drawn to see if and how much you’ve won. Then, if you want to continue playing, you can repeat the round.

Watch all steps

Keno Basic Rules

The basic rules of the game are simple. It’s all about picking numbers and letting the game do the rest. Here’s a quick overview of the main rules in most keno games:

• A keno card typically has 80 numbers, namely 1 through 80.
• You can typically choose between 1 and 15 numbers. Some variations let you choose as many as 20. To select them, you only need to mark them on the card.
• After placing your bet, the system chooses numbers randomly, usually 20. Naturally, only the numbers from the card can be drawn.
• Your goal is always the same — to match as many numbers as possible.
• The payout is determined by the number of digits you guess correctly. The prizes get progressively bigger as you get more numbers right.
• Winnings are automatically awarded once the draw is completed.

Drawing Numbers

The game’s system draws numbers automatically through the Random Number Generator (RNG). If a given game is set to draw 20 numbers, it will always select 20 random numbers from the corresponding keno card.

Determining a Win or Loss

Wins and losses are determined automatically. To record a successful bet, you need to accurately predict as little as a single number.

Each number you predict correctly increases your total win, but that win can still be lower than the amount you’ve staked because the stake changes depending on the number of digits you choose. The more you choose, the bigger the stake, just like the more numbers you accurately predict, the bigger your prize. Naturally, the odds of hitting every number get better the more numbers you play.

Once a draw ends, the game cross-references the numbers you selected and the numbers drawn to determine whether and how much you’ve won.

Keno Payouts

The exact payouts depend on the keno game but also the bet you placed, how many numbers you played, and how many numbers you correctly predicted. Here’s how a typical keno payout structure looks so you can have a better idea of what you’ll win:

Bet Sizes in Keno

Bet sizes also differ depending on the game and where you’re playing. The casino can have its own calculations and award higher or lower prizes than others.

You typically get to pick the denomination or the value of each selection. This can be as low as $1 or only a few cents. The total bet you place can thus be equally low or as high as $50 or even $100.

Odds of Winning in Keno

The odds of winning in keno depend on how many numbers you pick, so they vary wildly. That said, here’s a brief overview of the odds on an 80-number keno round, assuming you got each of your selections right:

Keno vs. Bingo: Key Differences

Let’s review the main differences between keno and bingo:

• Keno is much older than bingo, having originated more than 2,000 years ago in China. Bingo is relatively new in comparison, invented by Italians in the 16th century.
• You choose the numbers you want to play in keno, while you are given a predetermined selection of numbers in bingo.
• You can alter your bet in keno in several ways, like choosing a different range of numbers or changing the value of each selection. In bingo, there are no bets. You pay a fee to participate but rarely have any control over it.
• The odds of winning in keno change depending on how many numbers you’ve selected, while the odds in bingo depend on the number of cards you have and the number of balls drawn.

Keno vs. Lotto: Key Differences

Even though it is a lottery game, it does differ from lotto in a few small ways:

• Keno games typically have 80 numbers, while lotteries usually have between 30 and 50.
• You typically have to make a fixed number of selections in lotteries. In most keno games, you can choose anywhere between one and 15 numbers.
• Winnings in lotteries can be life-changing as long as you predict all numbers. In keno, wins can get very big, though not that big. Moreover, keno is more dynamic, offering more ways of winning, making wins more common.
• Keno is a game in which one round lasts only a minute, from the time you make your selections to the time the numbers are drawn. As soon as a round finishes, you can play the next one. A standard lottery has a predetermined date for each draw, typically only once or twice a week.

Strategy & Tips

It is a game of luck, so there are no strategies to improve your chances, like in poker, video poker, or blackjack. You should only focus on choosing the right casino and a rewarding keno game.

Even though it’s a game of luck, there are a few valuable tips players should consider:

• If you can choose between several keno games, select those with higher payouts and higher RTPs.
• Always play demo versions before you start playing with real money.
• There’s no need to pick the maximum number of digits. Your selection should be based on the paytable and the odds.
• Don’t think previous results will affect the next round. If you lose several times in a row, it’s not a given that your odds will be better next time.
• Manage your bankroll carefully. Only bet amounts you’re willing to lose.
• Take advantage of promotions. If the casino has a decent bonus you can use on keno games, consider claiming it, but read the terms first.

FAQs about Keno

History

Even though the word keno has Latin and French origins, the game was likely first developed in ancient China. The legend states it saved an ancient Chinese city, and it was used to raise money for the construction of the Great Wall of China.

Interestingly, modern China only started using the lottery system to raise funds for public projects in the late 19th century.

Chinese keno games and lotteries were documented after 1847, when Portuguese Macau started awarding gambling licenses.

It’s said that the results were delivered by carrier pigeons to various Chinese cities and villages, leading to the Mandarin name for keno — beige piao. The term translated to “white dove tickets.” It was pronounced baak gaap piu in Cantonese Chinese, which led to the Western boc hop bu or puck-apu.

People played the game on sheets with Chinese characters, usually the first 80 from the Chinese poem Thousand Character Text.

Chinese immigrants brought keno to the West when they went in droves to the US, mainly to work on the first transcontinental railroad built from 1863 to 1869. Its popularity grew from then on and spread to the rest of the Western world.

Interesting Facts

Those who find keno very exciting will want to know these interesting facts about it:

• Keno first originated in China around 200 BCE.
• The word keno likely originated from French or Latin. The French word quine means five winning numbers, and the Latin quini stands for five each.
• The probability of hitting all 10 numbers in a typical keno game is 1 in 8,911,712.
• Besides the Chinese version of the game, which gave rise to modern keno, many keno games existed in the West, but they were all the same as bingo.
• One of the biggest keno wins ever was a $34.9 million reward that went to a woman named Cynthia Jay Brennan in 2001 while playing Mega Keno in the Las Vegas Desert Inn Casino.