Online Keno Site

Keno: Facts and Trivia

Keno is arguably the original lottery. It is also amongst the oldest of casino games. 

It was first conceived of in ancient China around 3000 years ago.  Cheung Leung, a ruler of the great Han Dynasty needed funding for his army. The people refused to pay more taxes to fund an army in need of equipment and resources, so Cheung Leung invented the game and by getting people to play Keno, he used the profits to subsidize his army.  Big jackpots created a widespread desire to win at Keno and the game became very popular.  His battle was won and the reputation of Keno spread and remained in the land while it continued to be a source of income for the army.  In fact, the Great Wall of China was built using funds from Keno draws. During this time, Keno became known as the "Game of the White Pigeon." This was because the game was played in a number of towns and cities, so a dove was used to relay information of wins (winners page) and losses between towns.

Keno remained in China for many centuries thereafter.  Meanwhile in Europe and later in America, various forms of lotteries or ‘lottos’ emerged, so when Keno was brought to the west coast of America by Chinese sailors, the concept quickly spread and gained popularity.  It was at this stage that the game was developed to suit the local population: The Chinese characters were replaced with numbers, and the total amount of numbers used was reduced from 120 to 80, greatly improving the chances of the player to win.  At this point Kenos’ popularity began to spread and received a major boost with the development of online keno.

Play Free Keno: Understanding the Game

There are no secrets to win at Keno, except to understanding the game. Online Keno rules and betting options are rather similar to a combination of lottery rules and bingo rules. To play Keno, you should know the following basics: There are 80 numbers on a sectioned grid. Players simply bet on which numbers they hope will come up (or be drawn) - known as a ‘Hit’.  The wager is made by marking an ‘S’ – ‘spot’ on the chosen numbers of the keno ticket. The exact limits vary from game to game, casino to casino, but players can select numerous numbers (usually up to 10) that they hope will be hit in the 20 ball draw.  The payout is calculated by considering the total amount of numbers selected by the player, and the total amount of hits and the relative odds.  (For example, if you selected four numbers, and three were hit, you would win more than if you selected 15 numbers, and three were hit, as the latter is a more probable outcome).  

These days, and especially in online versions of the game, after selecting the amount they want to bet and the numbers they wish to bet upon, Keno players have the choice to play one or a multiple amount of games simultaneously.  By hitting ‘play five’ for example, means that you will play five games consecutively - 20 balls will be drawn five times.  Your selected numbers will remain the same for all five games.

Best Keno Tips and Strategy

Keno payouts vary considerably from game to game.  It is very important that you check the specific pay out table for your chosen game at both traditional casinos and when you play online casino. 

Usually, more winnings are likely to be accumulated if you choose many numbers and consequently several numbers are ‘hit’, rather than only selecting a few numbers, and hoping for a hit with a bigger payout. (payouts or winners page)

Because Keno is purely based on luck, the balls drawn are completely random and there is no way of determining what the next ball will be, any strategies for Keno are therefore redundant.  Players do tend to incorporate their own personal methods, such as betting on numbers that haven’t been called for a while, or the opposite by betting on numbers that seem to keep coming up.  Traditional favorites such as lucky charms and lucky numbers are also used a lot, just as they are when playing the online lottery or bingo.

Like many other games, Keno is basically a game of chance, and applying specific strategies to attempt a sure win at Keno is simply impossible.  The single most important strategy when playing Keno and online Keno is to have fun.  When you play Keno it is meant to be an easy and relaxing game.  Many players choose to play this game while they are taking a break from other games in the casino. Just decide upon your budget and time scales, and sit back and enjoy a game that has been such a popular form of entertainment for literally thousands of years!