How Is Keno Played?

Keno is played at traditional casinos and online casinos. Several lottery-style games also feature Keno as one of their attractions. 

  • Choose 10 or 20 numbers from a pool of numbers between 1-80
  •  A random number generator (RNG) will select winning numbers
  • The more winning numbers you match the bigger your payouts
  • The house edge in Keno can range from 4% on the low end to 35% +

Players will typically choose 20 numbers, and the numbers that are matched will determine the payouts that are received. Sometimes, online casinos and online bingo rooms will pay players for not matching any numbers – given that the odds of not hitting anything are also low. It’s important for players to read the terms and conditions associated with Keno play, to understand what the odds and payouts are. It may seem like a simple game in theory – choosing 20 numbers from a pool of 80 numbers and matching all 20 of them, but the odds of actually hitting all 20 numbers on the Keno ticket are approximately 1 in 3.5 quintillion. That’s precisely why the payouts on a 20-spot Keno win are so huge.

Fortunately, payouts are made on multiple combinations of winning numbers. Players can win prizes for matching 0, 1, 2, 3, 7, through 17, 18, 19, and 20 of the numbers on the Keno ticket. The higher the number of matches – the bigger the payday. It is highly likely that a player will match several numbers on a 20-number Keno ticket. The payouts on Keno tickets will vary from one operator to the next. Here are some examples of odds on winning for Keno games: 

  • A player picking 7 numbers and matching 7 numbers has odds of 1: 40,980 of winning thousands of dollars in prize money. 
  • A player picking 10 numbers and matching 10 numbers has odds of approximately 1:8,911,712, for a $200,000 payday. 

As you can imagine, the more numbers you play and match, the bigger the payout.

How Are Keno Games Designed: Differences between Keno and Bingo

Keno games have a rich and fascinating history, stemming from ancient origins in China to modern-day Las Vegas casinos, and online bingo rooms. Over the years, the design and functionality of Keno games has changed markedly, but the essence of the game has remained. Today, research and development initiatives have pushed Keno to the limits, with Keno being integrated into social gaming across the board. Game developers are tasked with creating interactive, engaging, and rewarding Keno games.

Luckily, the advent of online Keno has allowed this to happen. While Keno and bingo are routinely confused among novices, there is little other than RNG selection of numbers that the games have in common. For Keno, it’s about picking 10 or 20 numbers from 1-80 and waiting for the RNG to match your selections. For bingo, there is chat functionality, 75 ball bingo, 80 ball bingo, 90 ball bingo, bingo lingo and a unique bingo culture that determines how bingo games are played. Keno is designed as a lottery-style game, while bingo is a social game. Many Keno games today feature multipliers. Simply put, prize money could be multiplied by up to 10 times, by tacking on an additional cost to the Keno wager. Players usually play 10 Keno numbers and place a bet on the draw for each Keno game.

It is possible to play multiple Keno games simultaneously, and the cost of Keno tickets is typically calculated by multiplying the number of draws by the number of tickets. As always, the Keno games require players to select numbers from 1-80. Wink Bingo is a leading provider of Keno games to players in the UK and other regulated jurisdictions. The return to player percentage on Keno Cup 2010 is 95.60%. In modern times, Keno has made the transition to mobile – iOS and Android – in spectacular fashion. More players are choosing to enjoy Keno on the go, and the big winning potential of matching combinations of numbers.

What Are Most Commonly Hit Keno Numbers?

According to Keno lottery sources in New Zealand, the most one Keno numbers include the following: 

  • 27 – with a frequency of 3836, drawn 25.77% of the time
  • 33 – with a frequency of 3834, drawn 25.75% of the time
  • 65 – with the frequency of 3827, drawn 25.71% of the time
  • 3 – with a frequency of 3811, drawn 25.60% of the time
  • 69 – with a frequency of 3810, drawn 25.59% of the time
  • 47 – with a frequency of 3810, drawn 25.59% of the time

What Is the Most Effective Keno Strategy?

Keno is a chance-based gambling game where players simply pick numbers between 1 – 80. Since every number has an equal probability of occurring, any combination of numbers can be selected. Sometimes, players pick numbers based on birthdays, anniversary dates, pin codes, ZIP Codes, addresses and so forth. The most effective Keno strategy is one which wins the greatest number of Keno draws.

Since each draw is unique, you may wish to apply manual techniques for choosing Keno tickets or the auto select option. Experts advise that players try several different strategies and see what works best for them, according to bankroll considerations and outcomes-based play.

Keno is an Ancient Game with Plenty of Modern-Day Appeal

Keno is one of a handful of games with a fascinating history dating back thousands of years. In fact, Keno can be traced back to the Han dynasty in China some 3,000 years ago. The name itself is a combination of Latin and French, each of which is a reference to 5 winning numbers. While the Europeans would love to claim the accolades for Keno, it is the Chinese who created this fascinating gambling-style game. According to accounts, Keno was invented at a time when war was ravaging across China. Legend has it that lawmakers decided to fund the creation of a Great Wall by running Keno games. Given that lotteries were prohibited in China until the end of the 19th century, Keno was a viable solution to a pressing concern.

The earliest forms of lottery games in China were documented around 1847 at the time the Portuguese granted licenses to lottery-style operators in the Chinese territory of Macau. Keno was actually known as White Dove Ticket (translated from Chinese) given that white doves or pigeons would carry tidings of Keno games across the country. The Chinese version of Keno utilized Chinese characters on pieces of paper. The first 80 characters were routinely used as Keno symbols.

This gambling-style game got a big break when Chinese immigrants to Europe, the United Kingdom and other Western countries introduced Keno in their new societies. By the time this took place, Keno was known by several names such as Puck Apu and Boc Hop Bu. When the Chinese immigrants made their way across the Atlantic to the New World, Keno was widely played in Houston, Texas. This is precisely how Keno was introduced to Western countries.

Keno and lottery

Keno is the game of choice for many state and national lotteries around the world. Multiple Keno lot three-style games are available including Keno bonus, Keno to go and traditional Keno. With these lottery style games, winning numbers are drawn at regular intervals and players are tasked with selecting numbers between 1 – 80. Winning numbers will then be posted on the Keno monitors.

Popular Keno lottery style games are available in Massachusetts, Kentucky, Georgia, Ohio, Maryland, Connecticut and beyond. Players can purchase Keno lottery tickets direct from online ticket providers, or through the official channels at kiosks and supermarkets. With Keno lottery games, players can watch the live draws taking place in real time, or watch video clips of the winning results. Lottery tickets are affordable for Keno games, and you can increase your stakes to win bigger prizes. As with all Keno games, players will note that the RNG pics 20 random numbers, with or without bonuses.

Lucky Keno at Wink Bingo

Wink Bingo features a Keno-style game known as Lucky Keno. This PariPlay powered game allows players to choose numbers 1-80 from a Keno board. A multiplier wheel is located on the left of the Keno numbers pad. Players can choose 10 numbers simultaneously, and will be dealt 3 lucky numbers and the option to spin the multiplier wheel. Once you have selected numbers, and the total wager per round, click the play button to see whether you have one any prizes.

The greater the number of hits you have, the bigger your payouts. This exciting game is available at Wink Bingo in a demo-play mode for free, and a real-money mode for the serious Keno enthusiasts out there!.