March 28, 2024
Keno Wager Amount

Keno Wagering

How much should you bet on a keno game?

The short answer to that is; whatever suits your pocket. Typically straight tickets in a live casino draw cost $1.00, although some are lower.

Video keno games, including those online, generally start much lower. You can find games as low as 5c. You can also play multiples of the base rate. For example, you could play a $1.00 ticket for $5.00, and your winnings will be multiplied by 5 times the $1.00 payout rate.

The upper limit varies enormously, from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars. It depends entirely on the casino you play at.

Pointers on keno betting

There are a few things to bear in mind when setting your wager level:

  • Bigger bet bigger win: The payout on a keno win is proportionate to your wager so the more you bet the bigger the payout.
  • Special Jackpots: On some video keno games you can win an extra big jackpot by playing maximum coins – though you still get to choose the coin size to suit your budget). Check the payout schedule.
  • Aggregate limits: The casino will not pay more than the aggregate limit on any one game. So if the aggregate limit is $50,000, your payout will never exceed $50,000, no matter how much you bet. So let’s say the jackpot for a $1 bet is $10k, and the aggregate limit is $50k, there is obviously no point in staking more than $5.
  • Multiple bet tickets: Tickets which include more than one bet (eg Combination and way tickets ) can have the advantage of allowing you to place smaller bets on each game. You can split your total bet between several wagers. On a straight ticket all your money goes on a single wager. For example a $1 bet might allow you one ‘straight’ bet or a 10-way bet. (But don’t forget – the smaller wagers on each way give smaller payouts!).
Casino Keno Gambling

Casino Keno Gambling

Keno has become one of the most popular casino games because it is very easy to learn how to play, it delivers a more relaxed, sociable and uncompetitive form of gambling than many casino games and not least, it offers the chance of very big jackpots for small stakes!!

Placing a keno bet in a casino

  • Take a blank Keno card from one of the supplies around the casino. Guess which numbers are going to come up when the draw is made and mark your numbers on the card. It’s up to you how many numbers you want to pick, it doesn’t affect the cost of your bet. You can usually choose up to a maximum of 15 numbers.
  • Decide how much you want to bet. Usually there’s a minimum of $1. The more you bet, the more you win if your numbers come up. A $2 stake wins twice as much as $1, $3 wins three times as much and so on.
  • In many casinos, “multi-race” Keno is featured, where you can play a number of consecutive Keno races at one time. In this case, decide how many consecutive games (ie draws) you want to play with this set of numbers.
  • Place your bet by taking your card to the ‘dealer’ or ‘writer’ at the Keno terminal and handing over your money. Or you could make use of a Keno ‘runner’. These are staff that wander around all parts of the casino with supplies of blank Keno cards and will go to the terminal on your behalf to get your ticket, and collect your winnings.
  • Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help in filling in your ticket or understanding the house special games. The staff are used to it. The casino staff can also help you check your ticket once the draw has been made. (Note: they’ll expect a tip – especially if you have a good win!)
  • You will then be issued a ticket detailing your selections and which games you are playing. You should check that this ticket does match what you wrote down, as the casino won’t take responsibility for any mistakes.
  • Wait for the numbers to be drawn – usually every 10 minutes or so in a casino. They will appear on the Keno screen.
  • If you win, cash in your ticket by taking it to the terminal before the next game starts.
  • If you’re playing several consecutive games on the same ticket (‘Multi-race’ Keno) you don’t need to cash in your winnings until the end of your last game.
  • If you want to use the same set of numbers for another game just hand the ticket back to the clerk or runner and say you want to play them again. They’ll give you a new ticket with the same numbers.

Special Keno Tickets

For the practised player there are complicated variations when it comes to selecting and writing down your numbers. But all of them are really just ways of betting on more than one set of numbers on the same ticket. The aim remains the same for each set of numbers – if enough of them are drawn out, you win.

Casinos will also offer their own house specials, including Jackpot draws and tickets featuring specific rules and payout schedules. Information about these will be displayed in the casino.

Video Keno

In a casino you’ll probably also find Video Keno machines.