Keno Online: All You Need To Know

Blurring the lines between lottery, Bingo, Keno and more traditional New Zealand casino games has kept the atmosphere light hearted and the enjoyment levels high at many online casinos. Although most players don’t sign up for Keno, It’s good to have as a part of the portfolio. Players get to dip into Keno when they need a break from slots or table games and it’s relatively low stakes.

Keno is simple and straight forward. Similar to lottery, players get to pick their numbers off a numbers board and hit play to start the draw. If a sufficient amount of hits are made, based on how many numbers you picked, you will be paid according to a preset pay table. Keno is low risk (minimum bets are as low as $1) and produces big jackpots win when players match a maximum amount of numbers.

Playing Keno Online

An online Keno board looks like this:

Keno is a popular game all over the world, for the most part due to its simplicity. The simple mechanics of the game allow everyone, young or old to play the game and have the same amount of fun, without any strategies or tactics involved. In New Zealand, online Keno has become a popular pastime for many and the game ranks just behind online pokies in NZ in popularity. If you haven’t played before we suggest using the practice play or “fun mode” before you start placing bets.

Online Keno is a game where you have a board consisting of numbers 1-80 and players choose a set of numbers in the hope they will be drawn and matches will be made, producing wins. Keno is both low risk (minimum bets can be as low as $1) and can produce big jackpots win when players can match a maximum amount of numbers.

Rules Of Keno

The game of online Keno is played on a virtual board with 80 numbers, aligned in 8 rows of ten numbers each. The player gets to pick between four and twenty of those numbers and a pay table is set up based on his choices. The more numbers you pick, the bigger the potential win if you get them all right, especially if you get all twenty right as there are major jackpots for such wins. In a twenty numbers Keno game, a maximum of twenty can be picked and exactly twenty will be drawn no matter how many you pick.
Since hitting twenty out of eighty numbers can be so difficult, online Keno players have the option of trying to hit smaller sets such as six or eight numbers. While these types of bets will win you more if you hit all your numbers, they are actually more profitable in the long run. Players are awarded smaller amounts of money if they hit some of their numbers as well, depending on the amount of numbers they chose. For instance, a player who bets 10 out of 80 numbers will be paid every time he hits at least 5 numbers.
Some Keno games also offer players a chance to bet multiple sets of numbers, with one set number being the King and counting towards all the combinations. These are all variations on a theme, and one sure thing is that no amount of strategy can really increase or decrease your long term winnings in online Keno.

Odds In Keno

We already stated that Keno is purely a game of chance and it is specifically designed as such so as to allow players to simply have fun without going into advanced strategies and tactics. Keno players are paid based on two elements: the number of hits they made and the amount of numbers they picked out. A combination of these two things generates the pay table.
One sad truth about both online Keno and live Keno is that they are among the worst paying casino games out there. Some live casinos pay out as low as 50% of the money invested while the best online Keno casinos will pay players about 95% of their bets. This is fairly poor compared to many other casino games and is what makes playing Keno online less appealing than other table games.
With no strategy to think of and smaller payouts than most other games, online Keno may not be the best option for everyone, but if you are just looking to unwind and possibly win something, then playing Keno online may not be such a bad idea. Most casinos do also award progressive jackpots to lucky winners, so if it’s your lucky day, you may just win the lottery in quite a literal sense, as online Keno progressive jackpots can climb into the millions.

Variations of Keno

When playing online Keno, you may be offered several variations of the game, depending on the online casino you pick. The various online Keno games will allow you to bet straight, split or king Keno cards which will let you win in different ways by betting multiple sets of numbers in the same round, sometimes picking a King number to rule all the sets.
All variations of Keno are fairly straight forward and will not require too much strategy to play so the choice of Keno you decide on will really just be up to what you enjoy the most. Some variations of Keno only draw 15 numbers and may also allow you to win something if you manage to miss all the numbers you picked.

Differences between Keno and Bingo

Numbers – In Bingo, numbers are pre-determined - in Keno, players choose their numbers.
Betting - Bingo cards are a fixed price whereas in Keno, players choose betting amount on individual games and number of games.
Drawing Numbers – Bingo numbers are drawn randomly until a winner appears, whereas Keno numbers are drawn from the lot of numbers which means you have multiple winners at one time.
Winning – Bingo gives prizes for completing lines and a full house whereas Keno has a set payout.

Our say on Keno

Online Keno is an easy and playable game. The odds aren’t great and there is a house advantage. While it may be slightly harder to win consistently with online Keno, its fast and fun to play.

The mechanics are straightforward and, unlike Roulette or Blackjack, there are no complicated strategies. The game is simply about picking the right numbers and crossing your fingers. Just pick a great real money casino and enjoy.

FAQs

What is Keno?

Keno is a game that is played using 80 balls that are numbered 1 through 80. In every game, the RNG will draw 20 balls for the house and display the numbers on screens, which are called keno boards. The goal of the game is to guess as many numbers as possible. Players mark the numbers on a keno ticket, which is located at the tables throughout casinos. So, keno can easily be considered a mixture of bingo and lottery.

How do I play Keno?

Keno is definitely one of the simplest and easiest games to play at any casino. You just have to pick your numbers on your draw ticket and can then lean back and wait for the results. Keno cards can be found around the entire casino or in the keno lounge. You can select your numbers and decide on the amount you wish to bet. Then you give your card to the keno desk or a keno runner, pay the total bet amount, and receive your ticket.

How does online Keno differ from live Keno?

Online Keno is basically the same as traditional casino Keno, with several minor variations, which ultimately make the game more interesting. Online Keno offers much smaller betting amounts than live Keno, which makes it more attractive and quicker. Instead of waiting for the main game draw, players can draw instantly and see if they won. Additionally, online casinos often offer better conditions for players when playing online Keno at online casinos instead of at a live casino, with a lower house edge.

What is the house edge in Keno?

The house edge in Keno is extremely high, often somewhere between 25% and 29%. It is definitely one of the more player-unfriendly games in casinos. But, this should not discourage potential Keno players, because Keno has a very alluring gameplay and it is one of few casino games where a $1 bet can get you $10,000.

How does Keno compare to other casino games?

While casino games like blackjack and roulette have house edges of 0.28% and 2.7%, respectively, Keno offers a very high house edge with its 25%. However, Keno is also one of those games which can award you solely based on the house edge. The simple gameplay will let you make your pick and then relax and wait for the draw. Keno can be considered a recreational casino game.

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