Keno Games

Keno originated almost 2,000 years ago. It eventually immigrated to America with the Chinese. Despite its illegality, the game was very popular with Chinese Americans. When Nevada legalized gambling in 1931 it quickly found a home in Nevada Casinos. Today live games and video versions are found in Casinos everywhere.

Live Keno

The game is played by selecting a desired quantity of numbers form a field of 1 to 80 on a bet ticket. A total of 20 are drawn for each game and the win is determined by how many of your picks (spots) are selected (caught). Learning is easy and the bets are as low as $1.00 per game.Give your wager and ticket with your spots to the writers at the counter. You will receive an official computer generated ticket. Some locations use a live ball draw with a number on each ball. 20 numbers are drawn for each game about every five minutes. Winning payouts can vary from $3.00 for a one spot catch, up to $50,000 for a catch of 15 numbers on a 15 spot ticket on a $1.00 game. Multi-Game Keno allows you to play the same numbers up to 999 games.

Other specialty games are also available for play such as the Way ticket. The way ticket allows you to combine sets of numbers to create more ways to win on one ticket. For example, the birth dates for you and your family would be one five spot game. You could play your anniversary date and year for a three spot game.

Video Keno

International Game Technology (IGT) has developed and marketed Video version which can be found on IGT’s Game King Machines. Three of the most popular ones are Power, Caveman, and Cleopatra. Most games offer $.25, $.50, and $1.00 denominations. All of the games have bonus features. Here are the particulars:

Power - play up to 8 coins (credits) per game. Select up to 10 numbers on the touch screen in the field of 80.You may also select a Quick Pick. If the last number drawn is one of your numbers, your bonus win is multiplied by 4X. For example: If you were playing a one credit 5 spot game and the last number drawn was one of yours, your 100 credit win would be 400 credits. (On a fifty cent game, a lucky last spot catch turns $50 into $200.)

 Cave Man- play up to 10 credits per game. Select up to 10 numbers. It’s like a cartoon with graphics from the Flintstone era. The drawn numbers spew out virtual smoke from a volcano. During play, three dinosaur eggs will appear randomly on the drawn numbers. If two eggs land on your picks, your win is multiplied 4X. Three eggs win 8X the prize.


Cleopatra - Play up to 8 credits and select up to 10 numbers. If the last number drawn is one of your selections, it triggers 12 free games at 2X the payout for winning combinations.


Downside

Be aware that video games that offer bonus features usually payout lesser amounts at the maximum win than the live game. For example: a 5 of 5 catch on a $1.00 Cleopatra video game pays $225, where the same 5 spot catch on a $1.00 game in the live lounge nets you $800. In the lounge or on the machine, it is fun to play and offers low betting limits but the house edge is a huge 25 to 29%.

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