Keno is loved by millions, very easy to play and similar in many ways to a lottery. The rules of Keno are simple and there is a chance for the player to win a large payout for a small initial investment. The name of the game, KENO, has it's roots in Latin or French (Fr. quine five winning numbers, L. quini five each) but legend has it that Keno was invented in China over 2000 years ago as a state-funded lottery during a war. The legend goes on to tell us that the lottery was also instrumental in financing the unification of China into a nation and for funding construction of the Great Wall. Sources say that the results of these ancient lotteries where sent from the major Chinese cites to the countryside by carrier pigeon. While modern reasearch has found that state-funded lotteries did not begin in China before 1847, it is a fact that game was brought to the western world by Chinese immigrants when they came to America to help build the railroads. From its humble roots in the west among these Chinese workers, Keno has evolved into the exciting Casino game we have come to know today.

The keno gamecard is a printed ticket with the numbers 1 to 80 marked on it. Each individual keno game is called a "Race". The player will choose which wagers they wish to select from the keno pay table and then select their numbers accordingly. When the race starts, balls are pulled one at a time from a hopper using 80 balls marked 1 to 80 until 20 numbers have been selected. As each number is selected, it is posted on the Keno Game monitors that are found at the keno game booth and throughout the casino.

Players have a wide variety of wagers to select from the keno payout table. Players have the option of selecting from 1 to 10 numbers, selecting the four outside corners or making 'Way" bets by circling groups or combinations of numbers. The player may also play a "Split Ticket" in which a line is drawn through the ticket dividing the ticket into 2 tickets of 40 numbers. There is such a large variety of wagers on keno payout tables that the player must consult payout table at the casino where they are playing. Some casinos may offer as many as 25 or more different paytables to choose from and the odds favor the house from 4% to 66% unlike the typical house edge in non-slot games of 0% to 5%. With a strong house edge keno is a game to be played for passing the time and enjoyment and not for profit. In land based casinos, a player can buy a keno game ticket, then go eat dinner or play blackjack and check their keno game ticket after the game is played. Convenience and fun is the name of the game.

Casinos also offer the option of playing "Multi-Race" keno, in which the player enters their ticket in a series of up to 1000 sequential keno races. At the end of all the races, the player may collect any winnings. Each casino will have their own rules and time limits for turning in winning multi-race tickets and the player should always read these first.

In most major land-based casinos, Keno runners filter thru the casino calling out "Keno" as they work their way through the crowds. The player has the option of using the keno runner or going to the keno game booth to play keno. After the player marks their numbers, either they or the keno runner will then take their ticket, called an "Inside Ticket", to the keno booth. The player will also write down the amount they want to bet in special box on the ticket. The inside ticket is submitted at the keno booth with payment for the game. The clerk will then generate by computer another ticket, called the "Outside Ticket", which is the official game ticket. This ticket will either be handed to the player or returned to the player by the keno runner. It is the responsibility of the player to check their outside ticket for errors and correct them before the game commences. (Don't forget to be nice to your friendly keno runner and offer him or her a Thank You and a tip for their work.) After all the numbers have been posted the race is over and that game is finished. Players then examine their outside ticket and see if they have won any of the wagers on the casino's keno payout table. As a rule, winning tickets must be turned in before the next keno game commences although many modern casinos now have a "Late Pay Window". Be sure to check for the rules on this issue with the casino. Any and all disputes concerning numbers selected on a keno game are governed by the numbers selected and printed on the outside ticket.

Online keno offers the player the comforts of home, faster individual keno races or games and the pleasure of playing at their own pace. Online casinos usually allow the player to select up to 15 numbers instead of the 10 numbers found at land-based casinos as well as the diversified paytables found in land-based casinos. The actual steps to playing online are simple and easy:

1. Select the amount of your wager.

2. Use your mouse to select the numbers or combinations you wish to play. Many online keno games also offer a quick pick button to select numbers for you.

3. As you select your numbers the paytable showing your potential payouts will change according to your selections.

4. Confirm your bet and numbers then press the play button.

5. The Keno game will then rollout 20 numbers. How this happens visually will depend on the actual software you are playing on. It may vary from a straight rollout of the 20 numbers, one at a time, to a visual of a castle wall being hit by 20 cannon balls, with each hit displaying a number in order. The possibilities are limited only by the imagination of the software designers and many online games today have amazing and fun graphics.

6. After the 20 numbers have been rolled out and displayed, the screen will show a list of all your winning bets and the payout for each winning bet.

7. Some online keno games will offer smaller multi-race games of 5 or 10 consecutive games.

As always, we remind our players to choose their online casinos with care and be fully informed of that casinos rules, support and payment policies. Now you are ready to have fun playing Keno.

1. WAY TICKET

The Way Ticket will allow you to select multiple sets. The Way Ticket payout is less than a straight ticket

2. SPLIT TICKET

The Split Ticket allows the player to draw a line through the middle portion of the card. The player then marks their selections on either side of the line. As one is playing two games with one ticket payouts are less on a split ticket.

3. 20 SPOT TICKET

The 20 Spot Ticket allows players to mark 20 spots on the game ticket. This card allows players to make up to 18 types of winning combinations.

4. THE BET OPTION

The Bet option allows the player to mark between 1 and 10 numbers on the game ticket in land based casinos and between 1 and 15 numbers in online casinos. Payouts depends on the amount of numbers the payer hits.

5. THE BET AGAINST OPTION

To play the Bet Against Option the player marks at least 8 numbers on the game ticket. The player wins when no of their numbers are rolled out or hit.

6.THE CATCH ALL BET

A Catch All Bet requires the player to select between 2 to 7 spots on the keno ticket. When the player " Catches" all the numbers, they have a winning ticket.

7. THE TOP OR BOTTOM BET

When making a Top or Bottom the keno player does not select any spots. Rather, the player is betting that the top 40 and bottom 40 ball distribution will be uneven.