Keno

Keno is a lottery-like gambling game commonly found in modern casinos and included as part of some lotteries. Players place bets by selecting numbers between 1 and 80. Subsequently, 20 numbers are randomly drawn either using a traditional ball machine akin to those used in lotteries and bingo, or through a random number generator (RNG).

Each casino establishes its own set of payouts, referred to as "paytables." Payouts are determined by the quantity of numbers chosen (either by the player or through a terminal's selection), the number of matches from those chosen, and the wager placed.

Various keno paytables are available depending on the casino, typically featuring a higher "house edge" compared to other games offered by the establishment. The house edge typically ranges from less than 4 percent to over 35 percent. In contrast, the average house edge for non-slot casino games remains below 5%.

History

The term "keno" has roots in French or Latin (Fr. quine "five winning numbers," L. quini "five each"), while historical records indicate its origin in China. Legend has it that the conception of the game saved an ancient city during wartime, with its widespread popularity aiding in funding the construction of the Great Wall of China. In modern China, lottery usage for public funding did not gain acceptance until the late 19th century.

Chinese lottery documentation dates back to 1847 when Macao's Portuguese government sanctioned lottery operators. According to some accounts, keno game results were dispatched to remote villages via carrier pigeons, leading to its Chinese name - 白鸽票 báigē piào, translating to "white dove ticket." The Chinese utilized sheets imprinted with Chinese characters, often the initial 80 characters from the Thousand Character Classic, from which winning characters were chosen. Chinese immigrants later introduced keno to the Western world while participating in building the First Transcontinental Railroad in the 19th century.

Odds

Keno payouts are influenced by the player's number selection and hits achieved, multiplied by their original wager proportion against the "base rate" of the paytable. Typically, higher payouts correlate with selecting more numbers and achieving more hits; however, some paytables compensate for hitting a lesser number of spots. For instance, certain casinos may pay $500 or even $1,000 for catching 0 out of 20 on a 20 spot ticket with a $5.00 bet.

Payouts can differ significantly among casinos. While most establishments permit wagers on 1 through 20 numbers, some restrict choices to only 1 through 10, 12, and 15 numbers - known as "spots" according to keno enthusiasts.

The likelihood of hitting all 20 numbers on a 20 spot ticket is approximately one in 3.5 quintillion (specifically, one in 3,535,316,142,212,174,336). Although hitting all 20 numbers is highly improbable, players may receive payouts for catching varying numbers between 0 and 20.