March 28, 2024
Keno History Guide

Keno History – ‘The Chinese Lottery’

Where do pigeons, the Great Wall of China and the Wild West come together? Why in keno of course! Get your keno history lesson here.

Keno’s Chinese Origins

Keno is one of the oldest games in the world, and is believed to have first been played in China over 2000 years ago.

The game was reputedly invented by a man named Cheung Leung as a money spinning venture. He needed to raise money to fund his army and then rebuild his city following a destructive war. The success of this idea soon meant that the game spread throughout China and it was even used to fund building work on part of the Great Wall of China.

In these early games, announcements of the draw were carried to surrounding villages using white pigeons – and so the game was originally known as the ‘white pigeon’ game. As you’ll see, the name has been changed several times since then, mostly to get round legal or taxation issues.

Keno as we now know it uses the numbers 1-80, but the original Chinese version of the game used 120 characters, and players could choose just 10 to bet on. Those characters were from a poem called “The Thousand Character Classic”, which was used to teach reading and writing to children. The numbers of characters used reduced from 120 to 90 over time.

Keno Spreads to America

The game was brought to America in the 19th century by early Chinese immigrants and was played in the ‘wild west’ by workers on the Old West railroad. At first Keno was illegal in America, but it was nonetheless widely played, especially around big cities like San Francisco. However, English speaking Americans had difficulty with the Chinese characters. So in order to widen the appeal of the game, in the early 20th Century keno operators replaced the 90 Chinese characters with Arabic numbers and reduced the size of the draw down to the current 80.

Omaha, Nebraska was for a long time the keno capital of the U.S. But when gambling was banned in Nebraska, Nevada took over the game.

Until the 1930’s the game was still known as the Chinese lottery. The problem was that lotteries were at that time illegal, even though many other forms of gambling had been legalised. So in an effort to get round the gambling laws, casino operators in 1930’s Nevada disguised it as a bingo-type game and changed the name to Race Horse Keno – bingo and horse race betting were both legal! That explains why many keno operations still call their games “races”.

When the U.S. Government started to tax off track betting, the name was changed again, this time to just Keno.

In the 1960’s the keno payout limit in Nevada was $25k. In 1979 it was increased to $50k. In the late 1980’s the cap was eliminated, and casinos can now set their own limits.

Other changes to the game have involved the introduction of tickets that allow several different bets – ‘ways’ – on the same ticket, and a wide variety of special games that are offered in individual casinos. Find out more about keno tickets.

Keno in Australia

Keno has a long history in Australia, dating back to the early 1900s when it was first introduced in New South Wales as a form of lottery called Art Union. The game underwent a name change to Keno in the 1960s and was introduced to licensed clubs and hotels in the state.

Keno continued to grow in popularity and eventually spread to other Australian states, including Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia. The game is now widely played across the country, with numerous venues such as pubs, clubs, and casinos hosting regular Keno draws every few minutes.

Players of Keno in Australia typically choose between 1 and 20 numbers from a pool of 80, and then wait for a random draw of 20 numbers to see if any of their chosen numbers match. The more numbers they match, the higher their winnings. There are variations of the game, such as Jackpot Keno, where the prize pool can grow substantially, increasing the potential winnings for players.

Keno in Australia is regulated by state governments and is operated by gaming and wagering companies such as Tabcorp, which runs Keno games in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and the Australian Capital Territory. The game has become a popular pastime for many Australians, who enjoy the quick and simple nature of the draws, as well as the potential for large payouts.

Keno Online Rules

Keno General Rules: A Beginner’s Guide

Playing Keno is extremely simple. It is so simple in fact that it should only take you a little while to understand its rules and how it is played.

Keno is a simple and exciting lottery-style casino game that is easy to learn and fun to play. Before diving into the world of keno, it’s essential to understand the general rules governing the game. In this guide, we’ll outline the basic rules of keno to help you get started.

The Keno Cards

First of all you will need a Keno card or ticket. On the card you will notice all the numbers from 1 to 80. All the numbers from 1 to 40 are on the top half of the card, and the numbers 41 to 80 are on the bottom half of the card.

Pick Your Numbers

Before the game begins you must pick out the numbers you think will win and mark them on the card. You can pick any amount of numbers you want to, but no more than 20 and at least one number.

When the game starts, 20 random numbers will be chosen. When this process is complete the game is over and you will be paid according to how many numbers you got. If you have played ten numbers for example, but you only got 8, you will be paid accordingly. Of course, the payout would have been larger if you got all ten numbers that you played.

Select Your Numbers

  • Choose your numbers: Keno players typically select between 1 and 20 numbers (called spots) from a pool of 80 numbers (1 to 80).
  • Mark your selections: On a physical keno ticket, you’ll mark your chosen numbers with an “X” or fill in the corresponding spots. In video or online keno, you’ll select your numbers by clicking or tapping on the screen.

Determine Your Wager

  • Set your bet: Decide how much you want to wager on each game. This can usually be as low as $1, but some casinos or machines may have higher minimum bets.
  • Choose the number of games: In some instances, you can select to play multiple games with the same set of numbers. This is called a multi-race ticket.

The Keno Draw

  • The draw: A keno draw involves randomly selecting 20 numbers from the pool of 80. In land-based casinos, this is done with a ball machine or an electronic random number generator (RNG). Video and online keno games use an RNG for the draw.
  • Watch for your numbers: As the numbers are drawn, check your ticket or screen to see if any of your selected numbers match the drawn numbers.

Payouts

  • Winning combinations: Your winnings are determined by the number of spots you’ve chosen, the number of matching numbers (called catches), and the amount of your wager.
  • Check the payout table: Each casino or keno machine has a unique payout table that outlines the potential winnings for different combinations of spots and catches. Be sure to review this table before playing to understand the payout structure.

Large Payouts in Keno

Regarding the payouts in keno you should know that they vary from one casino to another. Usually the payouts are large, but this is mainly because the house edge is rather high. In fact Keno is one of the casino games with the highest house edge. If you play only 2 numbers for example your odds of winning are 6%.

This is a game that appeals to lottery fans. It is very entertaining, and even though the house edge is a bit high, the large payouts compensate for that, making this a wonderful game to play.

Claiming Your Winnings

  • Land-based casinos: If you’ve won in a land-based casino, you’ll need to present your winning ticket to the keno cashier to claim your prize.
  • Video and online keno: In video and online keno games, winnings are usually credited to your account automatically.

Keno is a straightforward and entertaining game that anyone can enjoy. By understanding the general rules of keno, including selecting numbers, determining your wager, following the draw, and claiming your winnings, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying this classic casino game. Don’t forget to review the payout table for each game, as this can vary between casinos and machines. Good luck, and have fun!

The Casino Game Keno

General Information About Keno

Getting the correct number combination in Keno may be insanely difficult but when you get it just right you might just win the biggest jackpot ever.

The goal of the game of Keno is to between 1 and 20 numbers on a card with 80 possible numbers match up 20 different numbers drawn by the house. The more cards that match and the higher the initial wager, the bigger your win will be.

Bad Reputation

One of the main reasons perhaps that Keno does not have the same following and name recognition as blackjack, roulette or craps is the fact that government gambling regulation in terms of house limits and house edges does not extend to keno and this has allowed many casinos to up the pay scales and create different pay tables that are extremely advantageous to them.

In fact, there are some keno games where the house edge can be as high as 66%, which when compared to the average house edge of around 2.5% on other non-slot casino games is something that is extremely obscene.

However, at the same time, what you will find is that most offline casinos will offer many different pay tables and allow you as a customer to choose the one that you want to play on. This means that you can effectively choose the house edge for the game that you play and therefore if you are knowledgeable enough about the mathematics of the game you can keep the house edge as low as possible.

For example, there are some offline casinos that have keno games with house edges as low as 4% and therefore some of the bad reputation of the keno game is unfairly received.

Online Reputation

The interesting thing about Keno as it relates to online casinos is that the reputation issue is taken to the next level of extreme. Whereas some offline gambling institutions will take advantage of people in order to try and offer ridiculous bets like the 66% house edge bet mentioned above, there are also casinos that try to balance that out and get the reputation of the game back to neutral by offering extremely reasonable house edge percentages like 4%.

This is pronounced to a degree that is almost ridiculous in the online casino world. In casinos that have software packages that they created themselves, they have a lot of flexibility over their Keno games and many of them will actually go ahead and try to offer bets that are classical “sucker bets” in which the player has absolutely no chance of winning anything at any time.

However, there are also other online casinos such as Microgaming casinos that will offer very fun and reasonable Keno games in order to balance this out and when that is considered in the big picture you can see how shopping around and finding an online casino with a very good mathematical house edge is crucial if you happen to be a person that plans on playing a lot of Keno.

Keno Terminology List

Keno Terms

In this Article we Present to You an Extensive list of the Most Commonly Used Terminology in Keno!

Today, you can play keno both offline as well as online. If you are new to Keno, you would do well to know the different terms used in the game. What is an ‘all or nothing’? Or a ‘ball game’? What does someone mean when he uses the term ‘buy-in tournament’? This article provides a glossary of these and some other terms used in Keno.

The Most Important Keno Terms to Know

Keno: This is today’s version of an ancient Chinese lottery. You get to draw 20 numbers out of a total of 80 (nowadays the total is 120), and you win if you are able to correctly guess the numbers drawn.

All or Nothing: This is a term used in Keno to represent a ticket that pays only if you draw all the numbers picked, or if you draw none of the numbers picked.

Ball Game: This is the most common form of Keno nowadays. In this form of the game, plastic balls represent the numbers.

Blank: This is a term used to represent an unused Keno ticket.

Blower: The blower is part of the machine that is used to dispense the plastic balls used in Keno. With the blower, the game operator can force the balls into a tube, using air.

Buy-in Tournament: This is a type of Keno tournament where you have to pay a pre-determined fee upfront. Once you pay the fee, you are eligible to play in a specific number of games or play a set number of tickets. In a buy-in tournament, you get to keep any money you win.

Cage: The cage is no longer used in Keno games today. Basically, it was a wire cage used in the earlier days to hold Keno balls. Today, you mostly find plastic hoppers. The term ‘cage’ also denotes a specific area in a casino where only employees are allowed, and where you can find Keno workers.

Catch: This is a term used to denote a number that you have called in a Keno game.

Catch-all: This is a type of Keno game where you have to get all the numbers marked on your ticket. Another game is Catch-zero, where you must ensure you do not get any of the numbers that you have marked on your ticket.

Close: This is a term used to identify that period in time when the casino stops writing any more Keno tickets. The time period usually stretches from just prior to the draw till immediately after the draw.

Fractional Rate Ticket: This term is used to represent a ticket that you can play for a fraction of the standard rate.

High End Ticket: This term is used to refer to a Keno ticket that pays you more if you catch a high number of spots. However, if you catch a lower number of spots compared to the standard ticket, you win less or even no money.

High Roller Ticket: This is a Keno ticket whose minimum pricing is high.

House Edge: This term is used to represent the percentage of bets that the house, i.e. the casino, can hope to win over time. The standard house edge is 30%, though this number is not necessarily the same for all casinos.

Keno Glossary –  Summing Up

The above are some of the terms that you will encounter when you start playing Keno. You would do well to read up more about the large number of terms related to Keno before going ahead and trying your luck at the game. We have further glossary lists on our site so check them out!

What casinos can I find Nickel and or quarter video keno on the strip in Vegas?

What casinos can I find Nickel and or quarter video keno on the strip in Vegas?

Which casinos on the strip have nickel or quarter video keno machines?

Question posted by: Bob S

Answer

The availability of nickel or quarter video keno machines in Las Vegas casinos might have changed. However, based on the information available you can find nickel and quarter video keno machines in several casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.

Some of the casinos known to have lower denomination video keno machines include:

  1. MGM Grand
  2. The Mirage
  3. Treasure Island
  4. Flamingo Las Vegas
  5. Excalibur
  6. Luxor
  7. New York-New York

MGM Grand

The MGM Grand is one of the largest and most iconic casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. It offers a vast gaming floor, featuring numerous lower denomination video keno machines alongside thousands of other slots and table games. The MGM Grand is known for its luxurious accommodations, dining options, entertainment, and nightlife, making it an excellent destination for those seeking a complete Las Vegas experience.

The Mirage

The Mirage is another iconic casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip. With its tropical theme and famous volcano show, it is a popular destination for tourists. The Mirage’s gaming floor offers a variety of lower denomination video keno machines, providing an affordable gaming option for visitors. In addition to keno, the casino has a wide selection of slot machines and table games, as well as numerous dining options and entertainment choices.

Treasure Island

Treasure Island, or TI, is a popular casino resort with a pirate theme. This casino offers a large gaming floor with a variety of lower denomination video keno machines for visitors to enjoy. Along with keno, Treasure Island features an assortment of slot machines, table games, and a sportsbook. The resort also offers several dining options, shopping, and entertainment, including the famous Cirque du Soleil show “Mystère.”

Flamingo Las Vegas

The Flamingo Las Vegas is one of the oldest casinos on the Strip and is known for its lush garden and wildlife habitat. It features a vast gaming floor with various lower denomination video keno machines, in addition to a wide range of slot machines, table games, and poker rooms. The Flamingo offers numerous dining options, accommodations, and entertainment, including live performances and comedy shows.

Excalibur

Excalibur is a medieval-themed casino resort located on the Las Vegas Strip. Its gaming floor features an array of lower denomination video keno machines, alongside a wide selection of slot machines and table games. The resort offers family-friendly entertainment options, such as the Tournament of Kings dinner show, in addition to multiple dining options and accommodations.

Luxor

The Luxor is an Egyptian-themed casino resort known for its iconic pyramid shape and powerful beam of light that shoots into the sky. Its gaming floor includes a variety of lower denomination video keno machines, as well as numerous slot machines, table games, and a sportsbook. The Luxor offers a range of dining options, accommodations, and entertainment, including popular shows like Blue Man Group and Carrot Top.

New York-New York

New York-New York is a casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip that replicates the famous landmarks of New York City. Its gaming floor offers a selection of lower denomination video keno machines, along with a wide variety of slot machines, table games, and a sportsbook. The resort features several dining options, accommodations, and entertainment choices, including the roller coaster, The Big Apple Coaster, and live shows.

Please note that this list may not be exhaustive or up to date, as casinos frequently update their gaming floors and machines. It’s best to contact the casino directly or visit their website for the most current information on available games.

Additionally, some off-strip casinos might have a wider selection of lower denomination video keno machines. Exploring casinos away from the main strip could offer more options for budget-conscious players.