Keno is a game of pure chance and is very similar to Lotto
games. The game was brought to the USA by Chinese immigrants in
the 19th century. As with lotto games, it is a dead simple to
play, and it is attractive as large prizes are on offer for very
small wagers. Keno is played at bars, clubs and community
centers all over the world today (I know when I go an play poker
at my local club I always run the risk of getting run over by
ticket toting Keno players by the hundreds) . Unfortunately it
shares another characteristics with lotto games - horrendous
odds.
Logically, Keno found its way into online casinos as it was a
simple game to develop, and casino operators wanted to capture
the huge land based Keno fan base online. What was even more in
the favor of online casinos was that many people were used to
playing Keno on video terminals, so the move online was less of
a hurdle that say with blackjack.
So here is how you play Keno (unless I fall asleep writing
this!). You start off by selecting between 4 and 10 numbers from
a total of 80 numbers. Each selection is called a "spot". In
many online keno games, you can buy multiple tickets for the
same draw, and in some games you can even pre purchase for
future games.
Once you have submitted your selection, twenty numbered balls
will "drop" into a tube from a barrel. If enough of your sports
are drawn, you win. That simple. You will obviously win more if
more of your numbers come up, like with lotteries. Most online
keno games allow you to buy tickets between 5c and $5, and pay
out in multiples of your ticket value. Jackpot prizes of up to
$50,000 are not uncommon.
Easy? Yeah. So there must be a catch? Yeah. The house advantage
with Keno is 30% or more, the WORST of any online casino game.
The odds of hitting a number is 0.25%. Keno is by a long margin
the worst game you could possibly play. If you want a game of
chance play slots. If you want to throw money away, play Keno.
Very few people actually make any meaningful returns.
About the author:
Ryan is the editor of
Online Gambling
Insider.
