When it comes to online casino games, keno might be the game you didn’t know you wanted. It’s a unique numbers-based game that can deliver big wins if you’re lucky enough.
While some have described it as a kind of bingo-lottery draw game hybrid, that really doesn’t paint the whole picture of keno. If you are familiar with those games, you can easily pick up keno, though.
Experience is the greatest teacher in keno, but having a general idea of how the game works and your options for wagering will give you confidence when you begin playing. BetMGM also helps out keno beginners with some amazing bonuses.
What is a Keno Game?
The mechanics of keno are similar to a draw-style lottery game if you’ve ever played one of those games. You select numbers from the grid, place your bet, and hope for the best.
If any of your numbers hit, you win. If you miss, you lose. It’s all a matter of pure chance whether you’re playing a game in-person or online.
Can You Win Money Playing Keno?
BetMGM Casino offers real-money keno games in which you can win actual cash if you’re lucky as long as you’re physically in one of the US states that BetMGM services. Those states are:
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- West Virginia
You must also be at least 21 years of age to play any game on BetMGM. If you qualify in both criteria, you can check out BetMGM’s menu of keno games as soon as you’re ready.
How Are Keno Machines Programmed?
Keno machines rely on a random number generator, like most slot machines that you’ll find in a physical casino. With each play, the computer inside selects a number that corresponds to a certain outcome in the game.
When you play keno online, the game operates in much the same way. A randomizer still determines the outcome of each play and whether you win depends on what numbers you selected compared to the result of the draw.
How to Play Keno
To play keno, you must select the numbers you think will be part of the upcoming drawing from a grid. You win if you predict that result correctly.
The most important thing to understand as you’re learning how to play keno is the size of the grid and how many numbers you have to select can vary. Also, there could be variance in how long you have to place your bet before the games close.
For example, with Lightning Box Keno at BetMGM, you have to pick at least three numbers out of 1-80 and you have the option to speed up the gameplay to nearly instantly. Because of that instantaneous option, some players prefer to play online.
Can You Play Keno Online?
As long as the jurisdiction where you are playing from allows for such gaming online, yes, it’s perfectly legal to play keno games online for real money. BetMGM offers keno games to all players in the four US states where it operates.
Some players prefer to play keno online instead of in person because it removes distractions and allows them to focus on picking their numbers. Additionally, online games can allow you to track your play and manage your bankroll easily.
You’ll find that strategies you may have learned in playing offline translate easily to online keno games at BetMGM.
Keno Strategy
Among keno strategy secrets is that it’s all in your budgeting. More than anything else, bankroll management is a key to sustained keno play. This can be especially important to remember if you plan on playing several rounds.
Some players will choose to stick to their favorite numbers over several games, counting on them to eventually hit. While the probability means they eventually will, it’s possible to use up a lot of your bankroll in the process.
Conversely, other players tend to switch up the numbers from one round to the next, keeping track of what hasn’t come up in a while. Again, those numbers are indeed bound to hit soon, but that doesn’t mean you won’t burn through your budget in the meantime.
The option to diversify your plays or stick to your numbers is another reason why keno is so popular with many online casino players.
What Are the Best Numbers to Play on Keno?
In a standard keno game, every number has an equal chance of being part of any single drawing. Therefore, there aren’t really any best keno numbers to play.
While some players may believe that if a number hasn’t come up in a few drawings, that mean it has to be due soon, that’s not actually true. The game resets between each drawing, meaning that previous games have no impact upon them and they do not affect subsequent drawings.
This is important to remember so that you don’t make the mistake of picking a number just because it’s “cold.” It’s equally important to avoid the trap of going with “hot” numbers, too, though.
What Are the Most-Winning Keno Numbers?
If you play keno long enough, you may see some numbers be part of a drawing more often than others. However, that isn’t because the game is skewed to favor some numbers over others.
Each number in the grid has an equal chance of being selected in every game. If a number seems to be “hot,” in that it is part of multiple consecutive drawings, that’s merely because in a finite grid, there are only so many possible combinations.
What’s important to remember is that the more numbers you select, the greater your odds that you will miss. Playing the numbers is a mathematical task.
Keno Patterns That Win
As each number has an equal chance of being selected as part of a drawing, the more important facts about each game are the size of the grid and how many numbers are part of each drawing.
In a traditional game, you have 80 numbers to choose from and each drawing consists of 20 of those numbers, or a quarter of the grid. So, from a broad perspective, each individual number has a 1 in 4 chance of being part of a drawing.
As a result, what you’re really trying to do is pick as many of those 20 winning numbers as you like because you know that the other 60 numbers are irrelevant. The element of risk comes in as you don’t know which 20 numbers of the 80 are going to be part of the winning set.
Not all keno games consist of that standard setup, however. There are some common variants with different mechanics.
4 Card Keno
The main difference between a traditional keno game and 4 Card Keno is that in the latter, you are allowed to submit as many as four entries in one game. In standard keno, you can only submit one set of numbers for each drawing.
There is a clear advantage to this variant. Obviously, it increases your chances of getting a win. However, there is a big downside here, too.
That win might not be sufficient to cover the cost of your bets, much less give you a profit. Even when you turn in four number sets, there’s still no guarantee that any of them will hit.
Bankroll management and risk awareness are still big parts of playing 4 Card Keno. It’s always wise to understand exactly what you’re getting into when you gamble.
How Do You Know if You Won Keno?
In keno, winning is quite simple. If the set of numbers you selected are part of the drawing, you win. In most games, every number you pick has to be part of the winning selection for your bet to pay off.
Traditional games will give you a better potential payout for picking more numbers but your risk goes up with each number you select. The adverse is also true, meaning that if you select the minimum, your odds are as good as they can be, but your payout will be smaller should you win.
That rule of thumb should guide your choices as you play keno. It’s also important to remember that once you’ve picked your numbers, there’s nothing else you can do to improve your odds in standard games.
Best Keno Odds
In a standard keno game, each number has a 1 in 4 chance of being part of a drawing and therefore part of a winning play if you select it. While those are the base odds, few if any keno games will allow you to pick just one number.
Usual minimums are either two or three numbers. With each successive number you pick, your odds of winning go down.
Maximums vary from game to game as well, usually sitting in the high teens. In most games, every number you pick has to be part of the winning set in order for your bet to payoff.
When you’re deciding how many numbers to pick, you need to keep in mind where your bankroll is at and how many games you want to play. Budgeting for your entire keno session is important so you don’t blow your bankroll in one or two draws.
Is Keno Actually Random?
Yes, keno games at BetMGM operate on a random number generator, meaning that each game is completely independent of previous and subsequent draws. The game, and thus the odds, reset after each play.
What’s more, each number has an equal chance of being part of a drawing. Keno does not give special weight to any numbers in the grid. Each result is legitimately random.
While that means you are truly gambling as you play keno, BetMGM offers ways to manage your risk in the form of attractive promotions.
Can I Play Keno Online at BetMGM?
BetMGM offers several keno titles that you can play completely online from anywhere the app is legal to play with. When it comes to playing keno at BetMGM, it’s good to be aware of the various bonuses that BetMGM makes available to keno players.
Depending on when you are playing, you might find perks such as deposit matches or special boosters for any winning plays. All new players are eligible for BetMGM’s generous casino welcome bonus, which can provide a way for you to learn the ins and outs of keno with a minimal hit to your bankroll
Even if your lucky numbers don’t hit, you can still earn BetMGM Rewards with each play when you bet on keno games at BetMGM. The only way to check out BetMGM’s keno options, along with its thousands of other online casino games, is to register for BetMGM. In no time at all, you’ll be a keno pro.
