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Keno is a lottery-like or bingo-like gambling game played at most modern casinos, and at many bingo halls. A player chooses anywhere from 1 to 20 numbers and marks them on a keno ticket of 80 numbers (1 to 80). The casino then draws 20 numbers at random. The player is paid out against his original wager based on how many numbers match the ones he marked on his ticket. As a casino game, it is notable because it provides the casino with an advantage against the player greater than any other gambling game -- on some bets up to 66%. The normal house advantage for a casino game is between 1% and 5%. |
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| Keno is believed to have originated in ancient China in the Han Dynasty between 205 and 187 B.C. The game was brought to America in the 19th century by Chinese immigrants. |
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The payouts for keno are based on how many numbers the player chose and how many numbers hit, multiplied by the player's original wager. The more numbers a player chooses, and the more numbers hit, the greater the payout. Payouts vary widely from casino to casino. Some casinos allow the player to pick up to 20 numbers, but most limit the choice to only 15 or 10. The probability of a player hitting the jackpot 20 numbers from 20 chosen is 1 in 3,535,316,142,212,180,000. If every person who ever inhabited planet Earth played one keno game every single second of their lives, there would be about one jackpot-winning ticket to date. If all these possible keno tickets were laid end to end, they would span the Milky Way galaxy -- and only one of them would be a winner. |
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Numbers are picked at the keno booth. Keno runners will walk around shouting keno! and offering number selection cards to anyone interested in playing.
After picking numbers and recording them at the keno booth, the player will then watch either a big board in which winning keno numbers will light up or on a video monitor showing the selected numbers found throughout the casino. As the winning numbers light up, the player usually marks them on his or her card with a bright-colored marker. A winning ticket needs to be taken to the keno booth immediately if it is an individual game ticket, as drawings usually take place every five minutes. If the player tries to redeem a winning ticket when the next drawing starts, it is void and no money is paid out.
To avoid having a void ticket, a keno player can purchase a multi-race ticket with the same picked numbers on anywhere from 2 to 20 tickets. When the maximum number of games (matching the number of tickets) is finished, the player can then redeem any winnings and avoid the peril of a void ticket. Another option is the stray and play ticket, which is usually a number of games greater than 30. Unlike standard keno tickets, the stray and play doesn't have to be redeemed immediately and is often good for up to a year after purchase.
In the State of Nevada many Las Vegas casinos have introduced their own keno games. The odds of winning are about the same as in traditional keno games, except a keno player may select from a very large number of so called special games. These games are often changed and revised to introduce an element of newness and excitement, yet basic principles always remain the same - the house always has a tremendous advantage over the player.
Lottery versions of Keno are now used in many National Lotteries or state licensed Lotteries around the world. The games have different formulas depending on the wanted price structure and whether the game is slow (daily or weekly), or if it is a fast game with just minutes between the draws. The drawn numbers are typically published on TV for the slow games and on monitors at the point of sale for the fast games. A video keno machine typically has a far greater payout and win-rate than a traditional keno game. |
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