Somewhere between a Lottery and Bingo, Keno is full of plenty of heart pumping fun.
One of the most attractive things about is that like a lottery you have the opportunity of winning a huge pay-out from a relatively small bet. This might not happen often but knowing what’s up for grabs makes Keno one of the best games you can play at an online casino.
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The History of Keno
Keno is one of the oldest games in gambling. It’s literally been around for thousands of years. It can actually trace its roots all the way back to the Han Dynasty of ancient China. The story goes that at one point in time the Han Dynasty was ruled by a man named Cheung Leung. He was a bit of a war monger and had already depleted the funds of his city and needed a new way to raise some cold hard cash.
Cheung Leung put together a bit of a think tank and came up with a new game, a lottery of sorts. The game became exceedingly popular and within no time he had raised enough money to get back onto his war wagering ways.
It was so successful that it was used again many years later to raise money to build the Great Wall of China.
Many, many years down the line a few Chinese sailors brought the game to San Francisco in the early 20th century and it became a huge hit.
Of course, over the years the game has evolved. Even the name is new and has its roots in French, meaning five winning numbers (quine).
How to play Keno
There is nothing complicated about Keno, it’s simple easy fun.
- Choose your casino: There are a number of things you can look into when choosing a new casino. Here at Bonus Ninja we make it easy for you.
- Sign up to a casino: Although youcan play for fun online, if you eventually want to play for real money you are going to need to sign up to a casino.
- Make a deposit: If you want to stand the chance to win real money, you’ll need make a real money deposit. Most casinos give you a variety of options in this account.
- Buy your card: The standard setting is usually $0.50, but you can often buy more expensive tickets to stand the chance to win more money. Or cheaper tickets if you don’t want to take the risk. The top prize can be as high as $200,000, it all depends on the variety of the game.
- Pick your numbers: The board is made up of the numbers 1 to 80 run over 8 rows. The number of picks you can make depends on the game. You can choose the numbers yourself or allow your card to be automatically populated using Quick Pick.
- Choose your bet: Next up you need to decide what you want to bet per draw and how many games you want to play.
- Number draw: All that’s left to do is to wait for the draw and see if you have won.
Rules of Online Keno
Keno is a simple game, not too different from a typical lottery, but there are a few rules to keep in mind.
Each selection is known as a spot. Different online Keno games will have a different number of minimum and maximum spots you can choose. For example, you might need to choose at least two spots and perhaps no more than ten per game.
Usually 20 balls or numbers are drawn from a pool of 80 balls numbered one to 80. Online this can take a fun spin. For example, there are versions of online Keno where the balls are drawn by colourful animals.
The pay-out depends on the number of spots a player has picked, how many spots come up and the amount wagered.
House Edge
The House Edge in Keno tends to be much higher than other casino games. However, you can place very small bets so it can still be fun without too much worry about the risk.
Basically, the House Edge refers to the likelihood of winning bets versus placing bets. So, if the house edge is 4% it suggests that if you wager CA$100 over several games, you are likely to win back CA$96. This isn’t a given, since it is worked out over several thousands of games.
Depending on the version of Keno and the bets placed, the House Edge ranges between 4% and 35%.
Keep in mind that at the end of the day, the odds of hitting any number is completely random and is decided by a Random Number Generator.
Types of Keno
There are several varieties of Keno to keep you excited. Some casinos will offer all of these and more. Others might only offer one or two. Stick with us and we’ll let you know which casinos are the best for you to play Keno.
Here are a few of the options available to you:
Single Card Keno
The original form of Keno, an oldie and a goodie. You’ll find this at pretty much any online casino in Canada that offers Keno. You simply buy your ticket and either pick your numbers or allow the system to do it for you. The number of spots you choose is up to you.
Twenty balls are chosen from the eighty available numbers. That’s it, no bells and whistles, no silly characters, just the game of Keno at the core.
Power Keno
Similar to Single Card Keno, Power Keno comes with one very special added feature. If one of your spots happens to be the last number drawn, your winnings will be quadrupled. During this version of Keno you’ll be able to choose between two and ten selections.
Super Keno
When you play Super Keno the first ball is the one you really want to hit. Match it and your winnings will be quadrupled.
Caveman Keno
Caveman Keno puts a whole new spin on online Keno. The game play is the same as Single Card Keno, you choose your spots, and then it’s time for the Keno draw. While the numbers are drawn dinosaur eggs can appear on your card. If you hit any two of these numbers your winnings will be quadrupled. Hit three for a multiple of eight.
Superball Keno
With this variant, a superball is drawn along with the other balls. What makes this game special is the Keno bonus play of the super ball, if you manage to hit it, you’ll receive a multiple of four times on your winnings.
Monkey Keno
This one is a particularly fun version of the game. Instead of the balls being virtually drawn, in this quirky game the numbers are shaped like coconut and are thrown on the board by a cheeky monkey.
Live Dealer Keno
Recently casinos have started to offer a wider variety of Live Dealer games. A few years ago, only Blackjack and Roulette were offered as Live Dealer games.
Times have changed. In the last few years there are plenty of new varieties including games similar to wheel of fortune. One of the newest editions to Live Dealer is Keno. The game play is similar to other varieties, but you get to enjoy it with other players at the same time. You can even chat with them as you play. The action also gets really exciting because it takes place in real time with real dealers doing the Keno draw from the drum of balls.
Keno Tickets
There are actually several types of Keno tickets that can be purchased within any game of Keno. Here’s what is generally available:
Straight Ticket
With a Straight Ticket you’ll play a ticket for one game only. You can decide how many numbers you want to choose, the minimum and maximum spots you can choose depends on the specific game. The more spots you pick, the more expensive it will be.
Split Ticket
A Split Ticket allows you to play two games of Keno simultaneously. The numbers on your tickets must, however, be different. You can play more than two games, just remember the numbers can overlap. The best thing about this ticket is that it is fast-paced.
Way Ticket
With a Way Ticket you wager on several games at the same time, on one ticket. Because of the way it is set up, it is a more cost efficient way to play.
Combination Ticket
This is the most complicated ticket, but it is also the most flexible. When you buy a Combination Ticket you can combine any of the other tickets in any way you want.
Keno Strategy
There is no strategy in any Keno casino games that will guarantee a win. But there are a few tips you can follow to increase your chances of getting a win.
One of the best strategies you can take is to look into the pay-tables of a specific game of Keno, you are obviously better off if the pay-table offers better pay-outs.
Although you can win more if you pick more numbers, the odds of winning reduce as you to hit more numbers to win.
General online pay-outs are much better than playing Keno live, so you are much better playing Keno at an online casino.
Monkey Keno tends to have one of the best pay-outs for online Keno so it’s a good game to play. The Return to Player in the game is 94.9%.
One strategy that should be avoided is trying to work out the best Keno numbers. Even though it might seem like there are certain Keno numbers that come up the most, at the end of the day it’s completely random.
Keno Lingo
When you start to play different Keno casino games, you’ll quickly realise that each game has it’s own terminology and lingo. If you really want to follow a game of online Keno, you’ll need to learn at least a little of the language.
- Spots: The selected numbers on the ticket
- Blank: A ticket without any numbers marked
- Quick Pick: When you use the Quick Pick option the computer selects your numbers for you
- Way: A special separate bet which is placed on a ticket
- Deuce: A ticket with two spots marked off next to each other
- King: When you choose to only select one number on the ticket
- All or nothing: This ticket only pays one of two ways. You either need to hit all the numbers you have selected, or you can’t win.
- Play 1: If you click this option, you’ll play one game
- Play 5: Click this option and you’ll play five games with the numbers you have selected
Free games
So, why would you play a casino game such as Keno for free. There are actually a number of reasons; Playing for free is a great way to learn the rules of a new game. When you play for free there is no risk in losing any money while you learn the ropes of a game.
When you play for free there is literally no need to make a deposit.
On top of that playing Keno for free gives you the opportunity to try out new strategies.
Another reason might be that you are risk averse. If you play for fun, there is no chance of losing any money.
You might not get the same excitement as winning a massive progressive jackpot as slots, but that doesn’t mean the excitement doesn’t keep coming.
Real money games
You’ve gotten the hang of the game and now you want to stand the chance of winning some actual moolah. The only way that that’s possible is if you sign up for a real money account and play for actual cash.
I you want to play for real money, the first thing you need to do is choose the casino where you would like to play online Keno. Not sure where to start? No problem, just stick with us and we’ll track down the best of the best.
Once you have picked your casino, you’ll need to sign up. Chances are you’ll need to supply a few personal details. Don’t worry though, all quality casinos use SSL encryption to protect your personal and financial information. This is the same encryption technology used by financial institutions. So, rest assured, your details are safe!
If you are going to play for real money, you need to make a deposit. Most casinos offer a number of deposit methods ranging from credit cards and direct transfers to pre-paid cards and cryptocurrencies.
Select your method, decide how much you want to deposit and add some money to your account. Now you are all set up to play.
Keno is one of those lovely games that you can play for as little as $0.20 a game. You might not win big, but you can play for real money and enjoy relatively regular, little wins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Although online Keno is very much inspired from live Keno there are actually a number of differences between the two versions. For one thing speed plays a huge part. When playing at a brick and mortar casino the action tends to be very slow. Playing online is much more fast paced.
When you play online, you can play for free to get the feel of the game.
Finally, and most importantly, the pay-out for online Keno tends to be much higher than in a physical casino.
Yes. Online casinos must be licenced in a relevant jurisdiction. Some jurisdictions tend to be stricter and safer than others. For example, it’s a good idea to play at an online casino that is licenced in places such as Malta, the UK or the Isle of Man.
Nope. Keno tends to be one of the easiest games to play online. You simply choose how many spots you want to play, choose your numbers (of allow the system to choose it for you), and wait for the numbers to be drawn.
Yes, you can. Pretty much any online casino that offers Keno online will give you the chance to play the game for free. This will give you the chance to get a feel for the game and perfect your strategy before risking your own hard-earned cash.
You can buy a Keno ticket for as little as CA$0.20 depending on where you play it. It’s up to you how much you want to spend on the game. Try to stick to your budget and you’ll find it a very affordable game.
Summary
There are plenty of games available to punters at Online Casinos. Keno might not be the most complex, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t plenty of fun. When you play Keno, you choose how many spots you want to bet on, place you bet and wait for the numbers to be drawn.
Get lucky, win the jackpot and you’ll find the winnings can come big and quick. There are plenty of varieties out there from basic to quirky. You’re bound to find something just right for you!