Online Casino Gambling

Keno is a casino game that has steadily gained in popularity over the years. Keno is sometimes confused with bingo. While there are similarities, keno is slightly more advanced. In a traditional keno game, there are 80 ping pong-like balls that are numbered 1 through 80. Keno is even offered as a game in some state lotteries.

The origins and history of the game date back to China.

Keno originated in China

By most accounts, the earliest game that featured elements of keno was introduced nearly 3000 years ago. Cheung Leung, a ruler of the Han Dynasty, developed a game to help raise state revenues. He based the game on a popular poem of the day, “The Thousand Character Classic.” Even today, the poem is used as a tool to help children learn how to count. The poem consists of one thousand unique Chinese symbols. It is broken down into 250 phrases with four characters each. Leung’s game featured 120 of the phrases subdivided into eight characters to each subdivision. Any player that could correctly predict a subdivision would win the game. Eventually, funds from the game were used to help build the Great Wall of China.

Chinese brought the game to the West

Chinese immigrants were responsible for bringing the game to America in the late 19th century. The immigrants sailed across the Pacific to aid in the construction of the trans-continental railroad in the United States. By this time, the Chinese Keno game had been reduced to 90 characters and would soon reach the modern number of 80. Even though gambling was illegal at the time, the game was widely played by the Chinese immigrants in and around San Francisco. Americans were intrigued by the game but couldn’t understand the Chinese symbols. So, the Chinese characters were translated into numbers to allow American players to participate in the game.

Keno arrives in Las Vegas casinos

In 1931, the state of Nevada legalized gambling. However, keno was viewed as a lottery. At this time, lotteries were not authorized by the federal government. So, operators had to make a slight adjustment to get keno into their casinos. The casinos developed “race horse keno” to solve the issue. Each number was designated as a horse although the actual game had nothing to do with racing.

The keno payout limits have gradually evolved in Nevada casinos over the years. In 1963, the aggregate payout limit was $25,000. In 1979, the limit was raised to $50,000. Finally, in 1989, the caps were lifted. This enabled each casino to control their aggregate pay limits.

Keno isn’t a game that many professional gamblers will get involved in. The house edge can range form 4 to 66 percent. Still, the game is a staple at casinos throughout the world. Keno play sheets are scattered throughout the casino. The player doesn’t even have to be at the draw to participate. A play sheet can be turned in to a runner which enables the player an opportunity to participate in a keno game while they are doing something else in the casino.

Keno is one of the oldest casino games in the world and still among the most popular.  From the early days in China to the local lotteries to online casinos throughout the web, this game has certainly come a long way.  Though quite vague to some, Keno is relatively simple when you know what to expect.

Getting Started

Whether it is online or in a land-based facility, each player receives a ticket known as a Keno board.  This board contains eighty numbers.  The object of the game is to predict as many of the twenty numbers presented in each round as possible.  When playing online, the numbers are selected by the RNG (random number generator) in the casino software.  You have the option to place a wager on any number you believe will come up, picking anywhere from one to ten numbers.  If your numbers match the randomly selected numbers, then you “hit.”  The more numbers you predict, the higher payout you receive.  The actual payout of course, all depends on how much you bet.  In Keno, the most common bets are of $1, $3 and $5 denominations.

You begin the game by choosing the numbers you want on the Keno board.  In most online casinos, you have the option to allow the software to select random numbers on your behalf.

You can also deselect numbers if decide to make another selection.  Once you choose your numbers, you will notice the potential payout in the corner of the screen.  After making your wager, you can then choose how many games you want to play.  Most casinos let you play one, five, or ten games at a time and have features that provide detailed information on each game played.

Keno Strategy

Since the game of Keno has several potential number combinations, calculating these probabilities and the odds can be a very overwhelming challenge.  How difficult is it?  Well, there are literally far more than three quintillion possible combinations that could come up each round.  Don’t let this get you down, because you don’t have to be a mathematical genius to win at keno.  Here are few strategic tips to take with you:

Make a Good Bet – Even when your bankroll is dwindling, it still might be a better to make a $5 wager opposed to a $1 bet.  Over the long run, payouts for these bets will turn out to be far more significant.

Pick the Right Spots – If you want to stick around when playing Keno, choosing the right number spots on the board is very essential.  This of course, will take some getting used to, but over time you will learn to select the spots that enhance the possibility of some of your numbers being drawn.

Be Realistic - Keep in mind that Keno is a game of pure chance.  Because the numbers are randomly generated, it is virtually impossible to predict the outcome of any given round.  Sometimes things will work in your favor, sometimes they won’t.  That’s the beauty of games like Keno because you never know what your luck might call for.