Keno strongly resembles lottery games in which numbers are drawn randomly, and it merely involves selecting numbers and waiting for them to pop up. Whether you’re sitting on your sofa at home or waiting in a queue, learning the keno rules makes it a fun and exciting casino game to play online. We go briefly go over the steps below to get you started playing.
Keno Facts
- The game of chance is heavily based on lottery;
- Keno’s Rules are simple and easy to stick to;
- The house edge in Keno is approximately 25% to 40%, depending on the casino you choose to play at.
How to Play Keno
If you’ve never played Keno before and find yourself worried about playing the game, you needn’t be! Its simple rules are as easy to learn as they are to implement. Have a look below to discover how it’s played!
1. Choose A Keno Game
You’ll need to select an online casino to play at first. Remember, before adding your details you should always have a look at the online casino’s selection of online Keno variants as each game has slightly different rules.
2. Select Numbers From Keno Grid
Once you’ve opened your Keno online Variant of choice, you’ll have to choose the numbers you think will most likely be hit during the Keno game. Generally, you’ll be able to place bets on a minimum of 1 number and a maximum of 20 numbers from a total of 80 numbers on the grid. The best thing to do is to go with your gut feeling. This is due to the fact that there is simply no correct way to select numbers. Fundamentally, it’s just a matter of luck!
3. Choose Bet Amount
You must not forget to place your bets on every number. Generally, you’ll be required to place the same bet on all the numbers. So, for example, say you decide to pick out a group of 10 numbers, place a bet of $10 on each game, and you’ve pressed ‘Play 5’. As a result, you’ll be wagering $50 during just five Keno races. Remember that once you’ve placed your bets and pressed the ‘Play’ button, there’s no going back on your decision. You won’t be able to change the numbers.
4. Wait For The Numbers To Be Drawn
After you’ve pressed ‘Play One’ or ‘Play Five’, the numbers will be drawn, and you’ll be able to see how much you’ve won. “Play One” means the numbers drawn will be valid for one game, ‘Play Five’, means numbers will be valid for 5 consecutive games.
The numbers that have been drawn by the Keno game will be indicated on the game along with the payouts at the side.
Learning to Play Keno: Filling out the Tickets
Assuming that you’ve played Keno at land-based casinos before and know how to play Keno, you’ll notice that the layout of an online Keno ticket will be different depending on which casino you play at. In the majority of online Keno tickets, you’ll notice that there are always 80 boxes that can be marked. However, as a player, you’ll be allowed to mark 1-20 spots per keno race. Moreover, other boxes, such as total price, price per game, number of games and spots per game, are also found on tickets.
Differences between Keno Tickets
If you consider yourself to be a Keno newbie, we highly urge you to read about the differences between Keno tickets you may encounter both online as well as offline.
Straight Ticket
Generally speaking, the keno straight ticket is one of the most commonly played tickets. Whilst playing, you as a player simply select one group of spots, place a bet on your ticket and choose the number of games to be played.
Split Ticket
Compared to straight tickets, split tickets are keno tickets that look like straight tickets but essentially allow bets on two or more sets of numbers. The only restriction this type of ticket has is that the same numbers cannot be used in more than one bet. Once you’ve picked out the number of spots for each bet, slash a line in the middle to indicate the group of spots. Then, indicate the total bet amount on the two games, the number of games you’d like to play together, and the number of bets and spots.
Way Ticket
A way ticket is one which allows players to make multiple bets by using the same keno ticket. In essence, this will save you a tremendous amount of time and money. When using a way ticket, after you’ve picked out spots to bet on, you can then go ahead and group them. Each group must be bet on. So, for example, if you’re playing 1 game, have 3 groups of spots and have bet $1 on each group of Keno spots, you’ll have to fork out $3 per game.
Combination Way Ticket
A Combination Way Ticket is one in which a player combines groups of spots by circling them or drawing a line to form a variety of bets. When using this type of ticket, you’ll be able to form groups with different amounts of bets and spots. For example, you can have a 3/2, 3/4 and 1/6 (Way/Spots) at $1 per bet. This would essentially mean that you’ll be paying $7 per game.
King Keno Tickets
Basically, King Keno Tickets are like split tickets. However, when playing Keno using one of these tickets, you’ll have to choose a ‘king’ number that must be present in each of your groups of spots. If the king number is hit during the game, you’ll get a huge payout in return.
Top/Bottom Tickets
When using a top/bottom ticket, you mark ‘T’ for the top and ‘B’ for the bottom and mark the 40 numbers in either half of the game. This type of ticket is a casino special, and wagers cost $5. Provided that you managed to hit 13 out of the 20 numbers and they fall into the ticket half you’ve selected, you win the game.
Keno Online Strategy
Keno’s popularity at land-based and online casinos has probably been incited by the game’s enormous jackpots and large payouts. Although there is no proven way to win at keno, you can follow a few keno strategy tips to maximize your chances of not going bust and perhaps even generating a lucrative win! Have a look below in order to find out the best strategy tips to employ.
Best Keno Online Strategy Tips
- Play for free before you play for real money.
- Find a casino that has a great maximum payout.
- Choose an online casino with a fantastic welcome bonus.
- Don’t select too many numbers.
- Consider the odds.
- Don’t stick to the same numbers all the time.
- Use multi-race cards.
- Place your bets wisely.
- Manage your bankroll in a clever way.
Get to know the different Keno Terms
Once you’ve learnt how to play Keno, you should go ahead and learn the lingo! Although the terms used in Keno may be a bit strange at first, they’re not too complicated to learn and memorize. Have a look at CasinoTop10’s Keno Terms page to get well on your way to becoming a Keno pro!
How to Play Keno: Understanding the Payouts
As a player, you engage in a game of Keno in hopes of winning a huge amount. However, in this game of chance, the casino edge is significantly high. The payout you are due to receive if you win is highly dependent on a few things: namely, the number of spots you’ve marked, the number of spots you’ve managed to hit and, finally, the amount you’ve wagered.
Bear in mind that casinos also have a maximum aggregate payout per game. Basically, an aggregated payout is the online casino’s payout limit on a particular game. This includes the winnings among all of the players for a particular game. For example, if the casino’s aggregated payout is $100,000 and there are four winners, each winner will be entitled to receive $25,000.
| Correct Numbers | Payout | True Odds |
| Catch 4 spots | 1-to-2 | 8-to-1 |
| Catch 5 spots | 3-to-1 | 30-to-1 |
| Catch 6 spots | 40-to-1 | 174-to-1 |
| Catch 7 spots | 300-to-1 | 1700-to-1 |
| Catch 8 spots | 4000-to-1 | 30,000-to-1 |
| Catch 9 spots | 37,500-to-1 | Over 1 million-to-1 |
Analysis of Keno Odds
As you can see, the odds in keno are not particularly favorable to the player. However, the possibility of winning thousands for a bet of only $2 is what draws people to the game. If you are only playing for fun and not with a winning expectation, this prospect of winning big for a minimal investment may make keno an enjoyable play.
Keno Money Management
Money management is a crucial factor in whether you’ll be able to seal the deal and bag a profitable win. Keno allows players the opportunity to become rich just by betting a small amount of their bankroll on a selection of numbers. Keno works like the lottery, where players select a few numbers in the hope that their chosen numbers will be drawn. However, the key difference is the amount players often choose to spend.
Very often, a lottery ticket will cost you a trivial amount of money. So, in hindsight, you will not be compromising much of your monthly earnings. Yet, in Keno, you’re required to place bets on each game you’ve chosen to play. So, if you’ve opted to place a bet of $5 on 4 different spots and you’ve chosen to play 5 games by pressing ‘Play 5’, you’ll be wagering $25 at one go. If you’re new to the game of Keno, it is fairly easy to get carried away with how much you’re betting. However, this is no reason to fear playing the entertaining game! Our players-turned-experts at CasinoTop10 have written an article on keno money management to help you out with how to manage your bankroll.
Practice Keno For Free
Our Free Keno game serves to virtually transport you to the wonderful world of this game of chance. And although Keno is a game that would probably look more at home whilst being played at a lotto center (and in fact, some lotto booths do have this game available), it’s definitely worth knowing that the game is also commonly found at brick-and-mortar casinos as well as multiple online casinos too! Our online version of the game is a digital replica of the game that you’ll typically find at online casinos all over the net. The Free Keno game provides a free source of entertainment where players can enjoy learning and practising the game before heading to a real money Keno online casino. We think the game nails the experience down pretty accurately. The layout is simple, but the graphics work very well – there’s no lagging to be had on any devices, and the jazzy soundtrack sets the mood for playing very well!
Mobile Keno
If you want to play keno on Android, iOS or on keno apps as a mobile casino alternative then you’re in luck. Our online casinos cater to mobile players and you can play this fun game no matter what device you are using. Many casinos have their own keno app that you can download to your phone, use your casino login, and play on the go. Due to high demand for the game, many online casinos have been left with no choice but to adapt the classic game of Keno to the online environment and they’ve managed to recreate the classic Keno experience quite well as a matter of fact! Whilst playing the easily accessible digital version of this lottery-based game, you’ll be able to select your numbers by using your fingers alternatively to crayons.
Playing Keno Online: Yay or Nay?
Due to high demand for the game, many online casinos have been left with no choice but to adapt the classic game of Keno to the online environment, and they’ve managed to recreate the classic Keno experience quite well, as a matter of fact! Whilst playing the easily accessible digital version of this lottery-based game, you’ll be able to select your numbers by using your fingers alternatively to crayons.
Keno Online FAQs
Can you play keno online?
Yes, you can. You can find many different online keno games in our recommended list of online casinos that provide keno games.
How do you play keno online?
Keno online is a very simple game so once you understand the rules, it can be a very entertaining game. Once you choose an online keno game, select the numbers from the grid, the amount you wish to bet and then wait for the numbers to be drawn.
Can you play keno online for real money?
Yes, you can play real money keno. Our keno online casinos offer real money keno games. You would need to sign up and make a deposit before you can play keno online.
Are online keno games fair?
Yes, keno games are fair. The games have a random number generator in place. This means that every number is called by chance. The RNG powering keno games are audited regularly by third parties and these keno online games can be found at our list of online casinos above.
Are online keno games available on mobile and tablet?
Yes, you can find real money and free keno online games that are available on any mobile and tablet and using any internet browser.
Play Keno Online for Real Money Today!
Exhausted after a long and stressful day at work? If so, why not unwind by playing a marvellous game of Keno on a desktop or at a mobile casino? Unlike when playing blackjack, there’s no strategy involved in playing this lottery-like casino game. This means that it could potentially leave you in the running to bag a life-changing jackpot! So, what’s not to like?! Go on and read a few casino reviews prior to deciding which online gambling site to play at. Then bag an online casino bonus to enjoy while you’re at it!
