Keno

Keno is a gambling game which originated from China. The original form of the game is said to be more than 2 000 years old and it is believed that a Chinese man invented the game in order to finance the Chinese wall.

Instead if numbers, people had a range of 120 Chinese characters to choose from. And these characters were drawn in the following way: doves were placed in front of labelled letters with Chinese characters and they picked some of those – this method of drawing is still common in some regions of Asia. Therefore, the game has been called “The-White-Dove-Game”). By the end of the 20th century Chinese workers imported the game into the Unites States. The Chinese characters were replaced by numbers and the amount was reduced from 120 to 80 (in several European countries to 70).

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Today Keno is often compared to a combination of bingo and lottery (but with better chances to win) and it is offered by several land-based Casinos and Online Casinos. In land-based Casinos, you will have a round, hollow glass container (called “bubble”), including the 80 (or 70) balls which look like those used for playing table-tennis. Of course, each ball is labelled with a number (between 1 and 80/70). A blower blasts air into the glass bubble and jumbles the content. The “caller” pulls a lever which then opens the tube where the balls elevate one after another into the “rabbit ears”, a cylinder, formed like the letter “V”. There is another person, the “verifier” who notes down every ball which was drawn (20 altogether). Finally, a computer gauges the wagers based on the digits drawn.

Players will have Keno tickets in front of them. Those tickets have boxes, numbered from 1 to 80 (or 70) and players can choose from 1 (sometimes even at least 2) to 10 numbers, labelling them with an “X” on the ticket. Several Casinos will automatically draw the balls in certain intermissions. If you are playing for example in a German Casino where 20 out of 70 numbers are drawn, you will have the possibility to bet 1€, 2€, 5€ or 10€ (in the US its usually 1$, 3$ or 5$) you will have the chance to win up to 1 000 000€ (if you are betting 10€ and if the 10 numbers drawn correspond with the marked numbers on your Keno ticket).

You should definitely have a look at the payout tables, so that you know what to expect. These payout tables usually vary – each Casino has a different one. In fact, generally each Casino has diverse payout tables and extraordinary bets – each with a different house edge. Each Casino has its own payout tables – you will not find two Casinos with the same payout table. In Las Vegas or Monte Carlo some Casinos have up to 30 distinct payout tables.

The house edges vary significantly – from under 4% up to over 60%.



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