A Complete Guide to Playing Online Keno
Info: It isn’t difficult to find keno websites online but finding an awesome casino that offers interactive gameplay, great payouts, and yet accepts Indian players (as well as INR) is more challenging.
Keno is indeed a wonderful lottery-based game and often a preferred option amongst many enthusiastic, avid punters out there. In many ways, keno is pretty much the same as regular lottery games but yet, has extraordinary distinctions that separate it from each other.
It is a game that can give you enough adrenaline rush, especially while playing with real money. Together with the team of ICG, I’ve highlighted the best casinos where you can play keno along with various strategies as well as tips to increase the odds for winning.
Table of Contents
What is Online Keno?
Keno is a popular lottery-like gambling game, where players place their bets by picking numbers from 1 – 80. After the players have betted, 20 numbers (usually 20 but a few game variations draw less numbers) are randomly chosen, either using a ball machine (much like the ones you see in bingo & lotteries) or a RNG (Random Number Generator).
Every casino sets its series of payouts, known as “pay tables,” where players are paid based on these:
Depending on a casino, there can be a wide range of keno pay tables. The popularity of keno grew from the fact that they usually have a higher “house edge” when compared to other casino games. The house edge ranges from 4% or less to 35% or more. Typically, the house edge for non-slot casino games is below 5%.
Though nothing can beat the fascinating setting offered at land-based casinos, undoubtedly, there’s something magical about online casinos. No wonder they’re becoming more popular these days.
Of course, the loud sounds of those slot bells, those cheers, and merriments are something you’ll miss but let me tell you online casinos come with their own baggage of perks.
Why do players prefer online keno?
Keno has always been a favourite casino game among players throughout the world, but the kind of convenience and features that online keno offers, actually makes the game more engaging.
Where Can I Play Online Keno for Money?
When it comes to playing on some of the online keno sites for real money, it is important that you choose only the ones that are legitimate. Though the casino sites offering keno are in abundance, you’ve to look into these factors before signing up at one:
And if you’re someone who is just starting out, online casinos are the ideal way to practice the keno game.
Unlike slots, the advantages of playing online keno are many. It allows players to take their own risk level. So, you don’t have to wager on 10 numbers directly. Players who make such bets are playing in the hope of maximum payoffs.
But it also comes down to where you’re playing keno at. Just a quick Google search will fetch you results with millions of online casinos. But how will you know which sites allow playing online keno in India?
Well, to ease your search, together with the team of ICG, I have reviewed over 200 online casinos to learn about the operators that accept Indian players. We haven’t done this in a day. Instead, it took us months! We verified every online casino to check if it is 100% legit and if each of them can be fully trusted or not.
Finally, after a deep research and help you save your time, the list of Indian keno sites has been highlighted in this blog post.
You can visit these online casinos any time. The registration is free and takes only a few minutes. The sign-up process is simple and is usually the same for all, which includes:
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Be Aware of Fake Keno Casinos
There are times when you might come across online casinos that are unreliable and untrustworthy. The worst part is that unless you’re too good at it or have the knack of spotting the difference, you would end up playing there, giving all your personal as well as financial information.
I’m telling this from my personal experience because I’ve been playing at different online casinos from India for years now. And I did have some bad experiences initially when I wasn’t aware of things.
To prevent you from those bad choices, I would want you to be aware of a real casino and a dodgy one. Usually, they look similar but tend to offer different variations of casino games from studios you would’ve never heard of before.
There was this time when I happily signed up for one and was playing. The other day I swapped to my mobile to play their games. Shockingly, I couldn’t sign-in. I tried multiple with the right credentials but I just couldn’t! This is another sign that indicates that its a rogue operator.
They are unreliable and more of a trap to steal all your financial and personal data. Moreover, there’ll be someone or the other behind who would fiddle with your keno numbers or tamper with the software. Never trust such casinos!
The Basics of Keno
So, the state had to raise funds for not only building such an expensive project but also for fighting wars. They soon realized that levying taxes wouldn’t be a good idea. They figured out to introduce a lottery game, which could get people voluntarily to participate in.
This was a legendary game and was named Baige Piao (meaning “White Pigeon”). It became very popular because it literally had pigeons carry the lottery result even to far off villages. So, the game not only worked like a charm but also the required funds were easily raised. The game didn’t vanish after that.
During the 1800s, the Wild West was on an intense mission to construct the first transcontinental railroad. The problem was that their population wasn’t large enough to give the required labor for the task.
So, a lot of immigrants came from China to start this tough work. They had to cross the huge Pacific Ocean to reach America and with their baggage, they also brought baige piao. They introduced this game to other fellow American railroad labors. Everyone enjoyed playing this game and eventually, it began to take different names from the Westerners.
In the 1900s, the game was marketed and commercialized mainly for mainstream societies, with a different American name called “keno.” It was derived from the Latin word quini, meaning “5 in a group.”
In 1933, the game was introduced to Nevada where it spread like wildfire. Since then, keno has been a popular game and is widely played in casinos.
Is it Legal to Play Keno in India?
Even though keno doesn’t come under the same category of other legal casino games like rummy, poker, or even lotteries for that matter, it is quite hard to imagine why it would be illegal in India.
Keno shares a lot of similarities with lottery games. So, the game might very well be acknowledged as legal! But right now, there aren’t any laws or regulations that explain if online keno in India is legal or illegal.
Also, until now, no one has been accused of playing it and it is highly unlikely for it to happen in the future. So, I would advise you to play it responsibly. That’s more important.
Rules of Keno Game
Keno is one of the easiest online casino games out there, but rather more exciting and fun. The objective of this game is to predict which numbers (1 – 80) the casino’s software will draw. The game is pretty much the same as the lottery but it is played more often and way faster. Online keno is an incredibly engaging game for any player who loves to try his or her luck at guessing the winning numbers.
So, here’s what a keno game will usually have:
Typically, a keno game that is played with real money will have a pay table, a keno card, and some buttons. Though every online keno game varies slightly, the common components you’ll find while playing online are as follows:
Rules to Keep in Mind
As I said earlier, keno is a very simple game. The rules of this game are easy to understand and brushing up on them will help you to increase your odds of winning as well. So, while playing, keep these in mind:
How to Play Keno Online?
Though there are a few variants of keno game, overall, they follow the same pattern. The game works more like a lottery game with a few subtle differences.
Step 1: Register at an online casino that offers Keno
To play keno at any online casino, the first and basic step is to register or create an account with them. The whole process, as said earlier, will take only 2-3 minutes.
Step 2: Pick your Keno game variant of your choice
Once you’ve become a member at the casino, you’re all set to play. All you have to do is choose your preferred keno game variant.
Step 3: Pick your lucky numbers from the Keno Card
The keno game starts by selecting all the numbers that you want to play. Usually, you’ll be able to bet on 1 number (minimum) and 20 (maximum) from 80 numbers (total) on the keno grid. You cannot check off more than 20 numbers.
While choosing the numbers, I usually go with my gut feeling, as there’s no right way to pick numbers. Fundamentally, it is all about luck!
Step 4: Place your bets
Once you’ve chosen your lucky numbers, the next step is to place your bets on every number. Usually, you’ll be asked to bet the same amount on all numbers. Let’s say you choose 10 numbers and bet with Rs.100 on every game and hit “Play 5”. Consequently, you’ll be staking at Rs.500 during your 5 Keno races.
Also, remember that once the bets are placed and you press the “play” button online, you cannot change your decision or think of changing your numbers. Once done, it’s done!
Step 5: Wait for the numbers to hit
After you’ve placed your bets, all you have to do is to sit back and wait for the numbers to hit. Much like how you play keno at a land-based casino, Keno numbers in an online casino are generated randomly with the help of RNG (Random Number Generator).
The numbers that Keno game draws at the online casino will be indicated along with the payoffs on the side.
Step 6: Grab your winnings
If Goddess Lakshmi is on your side, then you’re definitely lucky because you would’ve managed to win a big bag. All you have to do is to collect your winnings from the casino. Once you take your cash, it’s all yours – you can tuck them in your pockets for your rainy days or just spend them elsewhere.
But note that to withdraw your winnings, make sure that the casino’s wagering requirements are met. Only after you’ve done this, you can request for the withdrawal. To learn more, you can check our detailed page on making payments in India.
Type of Bets in Keno Game
The game of keno has 4 types of bets, which are:
Keno Game Strategies
Unlike Teen Patti or Rummy, Keno is a chance-based game. So, you cannot use your skills here. Rather, it’s based on your luck. Therefore, it is pretty hard to apply a clear cut strategy that guarantees for awesome results.
In fact, many experts have tried to create algorithms that can predict the Keno drawings, but bad luck. There isn’t any validity to any specific model.
Even if there’s a proposed Keno predictor model, I personally don’t approve of it because, theoretically, they would change each time you use the casino site. Moreover, they have no assured mathematical algorithms backing them.
Having said that, there’re still a few things you could do to increase your chances of winning. However, these are more of betting strategies rather than something else. But they’ll help you in the long run.
1. Determine the Payout Ratios
When it comes to Keno, every online casino has their own payout ratios. So, before you place your bets, play around with the anticipated ratios in order to come up with your own betting strategy.
Say, for instance, there might be a little difference between hitting 9 of 14 and hitting 9 of 17. In certain cases, choosing more numbers might prove beneficial. So, these are literally situation-based issues and entirely depend on the way the payout ratios are organised. But doing this may help in maximising your earnings.
2. Work from the Minimum
Though this tactic involves you to be more of a conservative player, it can help you extend your game life in any online casino. Begin by betting the minimum amount that is allowed. But if you win, raise your bet. And if you lose, lower it.
3. Betting on the Same Numbers
As I said earlier, Keno is a fully chance-based game. Therefore, when it comes to choosing numbers, it all comes down to your personal opinion. Like the normal lottery, many players feel that wagering on the same numbers constantly increases the odds of winning. But a certain set of players might disagree with this and believe that mixing up the numbers offers greater odds. However, the fact is that there isn’t any mathematically guaranteed methodology to win more in Keno.
Keno Tips & Tricks to Beat the House
Due to the fact that Keno is completely based on luck, you cannot do much to influence the game’s outcome.
But based on how you handle your bankroll, your possibilities of winning can be turned positive.
But how?
Well, you need to follow 5 fundamental principles to ensure that you wager safely and prevent yourself from spending more than what you’ve planned:
Winning Potential
To know the winning potential of keno, it is first vital to understand its payouts. So, the payouts at any online casino depends on 2 factors:
Usually, the more numbers you pick and the more you hit, the greater are your prizes. However, before you think of risking your real money, check the payout table. Every casino will be a little different.
For the odds to work out, you need to consider the winning probability. Yes, they change considerably, depending on how many spots you pick.
To show you the odds of winning a specific number of hits, please see the table below:
| Hits | Probability |
| 0 | 0.11% (1 in 843.380) |
| 1 | 1.15% (1 in 46.446) |
| 2 | 4.97% (1 in 20.115) |
| 3 | 12.48% (1 in 8.009) |
| 4 | 20.50% (1 in 4.877) |
| 5 | 23.32% (1 in 4.287) |
| 6 | 19.01% (1 in 5.258) |
| 7 | 11.32% (1 in 8.826) |
| 8 | 4.98% (1 in 20.055) |
| 9 | 1.62% (1 in 61.420) |
| 10 | 0.39% (1 in 253.801) |
| 11 | 0.07% (1 in 1423.822) |
| 12 | 0.009% (1 in 10968.701) |
| 13 | 0.0008% (1 in 118084.920) |
| 14 | 0.00005% (1 in 1821881.628) |
| 15 | 0.000002% (1 in 41751453.986) |
| 16 | 0.00000007% (1 in 1496372110.872) |
| 17 | 1 in 90624035964.712 |
| 18 | 1 in 10512388171906.553 |
| 19 | 1 in 2946096785176811.500 |
| 20 | 1 in 3535316142212173800.000 |
If you look closely at the above figures, you’ll see that keno games have poor odds, particularly, if you’re choosing over 10 numbers. However, 8 is a quite good bet. While looking at the payout tables, note down the numbers up to the “eight” hit mark.
Also note that, your possibilities of getting all the 20 numbers right in keno betting are more than 100 trillion to 1! Similarly, the payouts are big too. But, as I mentioned earlier, this differs from one casino to the other.
While some casinos might offer you 10,000 times on your first bet to get those 10 numbers right, others might reward you 15,000x to get 20 numbers right. Whatever the case may be, familiarize yourself with the payouts before playing.
Variations of Keno Game
When players hear the word “keno” for the first time, they assume that it’s just one. However, the fact is that the variations of keno games are multiple and are equally exciting. The more you know about the keno variants, the better choices you’ll be able to make, based on your preferences.
Here are a few popular keno variants:
And lots more…
Playing Keno Virtual or Live
While playing online keno, it is important to choose how you want to play. Is it in a virtual mode or in a live streaming? If you’re playing in a virtual version, you’ll be playing with the AI (Artificial Intelligence) where everything is instant. There isn’t any delay or waiting time. Instead, things happen within seconds here.
On the other hand, playing keno in a live streaming mode is very different. In fact, I love it –it is more attractive with sexy dealers drawing those numbers for you. But there’ll be a waiting time, which is just a few seconds where you might have to choose your numbers before the draw begins.
Due to the fact that real humans deal with the game here, the overall gameplay wouldn’t be as quick as the virtual one. However, you might find it to be far entertaining because things are kept as lively and as engaging as possible.
Play Keno for Real Money vs. Free
Undeniably, keno is an entertaining game but you also need to know that it is purely based on luck rather than skill. Of course it can make you a lakhpati in no time. However, before putting your hard-earned money in, it is crucial to be well-acquainted with the game. This means that you’ll have to practice the game first.
By playing for free at the online casinos I’ve listed on this page, you’ll not only be able to manage your bankroll pretty well but also practice other tactics that might come in handy while playing keno with rupees!
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