Keno

Keno can be compared to different versions of lotteries such as bingo. The course of the game is simple: 80 numbered balls are mixed in a glass container, 20 of which are then randomly selected, after which the numbers are checked and the results of the draw are announced. Then, with the help of a computer, or an algorithm embedded in the program in the case of online keno, bets and winnings are calculated.

Players place bets on any of the 80 numbers, marking them with the letter S on their ticket. Then 20 balls are selected in random order, and the more numbers on the player’s ticket match the drawn numbers, the more his winnings will be.

The keno game differs from the usual lottery mainly in that each casino has its own pay table. Winning amounts are calculated according to this table, which allows the casino to set its own conditions. The house edge here can range from 4% to 35%, unlike other casino games where the house edge is usually between 0% and 5%. Moreover, there can be several different keno payout tables in the same casino.

To create online keno, the design of the game has been slightly changed and may differ from site to site. Some casinos copy spinning balls, in others online keno looks like a table with numbers from which the player chooses his 20.

The name of the game “keno” came to us from French and Spanish – it means “five”. In the second half of the 19th century, keno entered the range of games offered by casinos, which was first documented in Houston, USA, in 1866. At that time, the game had already gained considerable popularity. In the United States, it appeared thanks to visiting Chinese workers. At first it was called “pak-apu”, as in China. The game itself appeared a very long time ago, around the third century BC.