Play Online Keno
If you want to learn about online keno and find the best online casinos for playing this game, you’re on the right page. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll discuss what keno is, how to play it, and how to choose the best keno game for you. Moreover, we’ll cover variations of keno, guide you on how to play keno for free as well as the best casinos offering keno in Canada.
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NOT AVAILABLE IN ONTARIO | LICENSED & VERIFIED | REVIEWED BY CASINO EXPERTS |T&C APPLIES | PLAY RESPONSIBLY
NOT AVAILABLE IN ONTARIO | LICENSED & VERIFIED | REVIEWED BY CASINO EXPERTS | T&Cs APPLY| PLAY RESPONSIBLY
What is keno?
Keno is a game of chance that’s usually compared to the game of lotto. Both games work in a very similar way. First of all, players need to select random numbers from the available numbered table and wait for the draw. If their numbers are drawn, they’ll get rewarded.
The only difference between keno and lotto is that the amount of numbers you can select for the former is not fixed. In other words, when you’re playing lotto and seven numbers are required to be selected, then you must always pick seven numbers. In keno, on the other hand, you can pick just one number if you want. The maximum amount is usually 10 numbers.
A little bit of keno history
Keno is actually one of the oldest gambling games in the world, and its origins can be traced back to ancient China 3,000 years ago. The game called Baige Piao is the ancestor of all similar lottery games, such as lotto and bingo. However, keno is said to be its closest relative.
The Chinese played this keno-like game for thousands of years, introducing it to the western world in the 19th century via Chinese US immigrants. Keno was officially introduced to gambling houses in Nevada in 1933 when the game became standardized. It received the name keno as a result of the poorly pronounced french word quine (a group of five).
Keno gained worldwide popularity during the 20th century, especially because it was available in many casinos. It became even more popular with the introduction of online keno.
Nowadays, this game is part of many online casinos and comes in many shapes and sizes.
How do you play online keno?
Here’s a short overview of how a typical keno round looks like.
- Choose a keno game: there are usually several different variations, and each has a unique twist. It’s up to you to select which one you like the most.
- Select up to 10 numbers: in most cases, there are 80 numbers to choose from, and you need to pick between 1 and 10.
- Select the number of consecutive plays: if you want, you can play the same number for many rounds consecutively.
- Set a bet: the betting limit per round differs depending on many factors, but it’s usually between $1 and $10.
- Draw the numbers: A total of 20 numbers is drawn, and the more hits you have, the better your prize will be.
Online keno variations
Here are some of the common keno variations you’ll find on online gambling sites.
Mini keno
This keno only features 40 numbers, and a total of 10 numbers are usually drawn, as opposed to 20 numbers in standard keno games. Other rules are mostly the same.
Power keno
Catching a number in keno means guessing it right. If you manage to catch the last drawn number, you’ll get a bonus multiplier of 4x, meaning your final prize will be four times higher.
Bonus spot keno
In this variation, you’ll get a bonus multiplier if you catch the first drawn number. The multiplier is usually between 5x and 10x. Other rules are the same as standard keno.
Progressive jackpot keno
There are just a few progressive versions of online keno, and their rules for triggering the jackpot are different. The jackpot can be either random.
How to choose your keno game
Choosing the keno game you like is important to have the best possible experience when playing keno on the web. First of all, it’s important to pick an online gambling platform that’s licensed and regulated by an official gambling commission. That way, you’ll make sure that all keno games on the platform are legally offered.
After that, it’s useful to check whether the site is audited for fairness and has the necessary fairness certificates from independent companies, such as eCOGRA. This means that the operator will not rig games or commit any other kind of fraud by meddling with the game’s random number generator (RNG).
Speaking of RNG, it’s important to check that the keno game of your choice has RNG in place, which is a piece of code that ensures that the numbers are always randomly picked and that the element of chance is the only factor influencing the outcome of each round.
Finally, it’s important to check out available bonuses and promotions for keno on the online casino of your choice. If the casino features any kind of offer that includes keno, you’ll get a head start when playing the popular game.
You can play keno for free
Did you know that you could play keno free of charge? Many online casinos offer this game for non-registered visitors or users who still haven’t made their first deposit. All you have to do is find the Free Play or Demo Play option when selecting the online keno game, and the operator will provide fake credit that you’ll be able to use to play games. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to receive real prizes when you play keno for free. The good news is that you can almost always switch to real-money play after opening an account and making a deposit.
You can also play live keno
One way to play keno online is with a live dealer. A human dealer is streamed live from a special studio where the dealer draws the numbers from the same machine used for land-based keno. In other words, live dealer games don’t rely on RNG. Instead, the outcome is determined the old-fashioned way, and you still have an opportunity to enjoy keno from the comfort of your home (or anywhere you like if you play keno on your mobile device). There are still not many live dealer keno games, but their number is expected to grow in the future.
Online keno vs offline keno
You can play keno online or on a land-based gambling property. When it comes to the rules, there aren’t really any differences between these games. In both cases, the payouts are pretty similar as well. However, online keno is available in many different variants, whereas that is not the case with its offline counterpart. Also, online keno is fast-paced, especially RNG keno, where players get to set the pace they prefer, as opposed to land-based keno, which is much slower. Land-based keno games have betting rounds that last up to a couple of minutes, during which you must pick numbers and make a bet.
Your questions answered
More frequent questions
Here we cover all the most important and common issues players often have.