Even if you don’t play the lottery or are a casual player, it’s hard not to notice how popular they have become. Seemingly always in the news, major lotteries like Powerball and Mega Millions continue to deliver mega jackpots, even topping a billion. With lottery fever at an all-time high, it’s easy to overlook a popular lottery-type game available at online casinos – keno. If you’re new to online keno, this guide takes you from A to Z about the awesome payouts that await for filling out the online keno card.
Understanding Keno and its Roots
While it seems like keno is 100% American because it has dedicated sections at retail casinos and more options online, that’s not the case. Keno actually dates back to ancient China, all the way to the Han Dynasty. According to ancient Chinese folklore, keno was made as a way to raise funds for the Great Wall of China.
Keno Comes to America
As more Chinese immigrants migrated to America in the 19th century, especially at the height of California’s Gold Rush, the immigrants began introducing Californians to the wonders of keno. As keno grew in America, the switch was made from Chinese characters to numbers that we are all familiar with.
Keno Goes Mainstream
As more Chinese immigrants migrated to America in the 19th century, especially at the height of California’s Gold Rush, the immigrants began introducing Californians to the wonders of keno.
As keno grew in America, the switch was made from Chinese characters to numbers that we are all familiar with.
Keno Goes Digital
Even though online casinos first went online in the mid-1990s, online keno was slow to catch on. Thanks to better technology throughout the 2000s and 2010s, online keno underwent a massive makeover. It took a giant step further with the legalization of American online casinos beginning in 2012. As powerhouse states like New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania legalized online casinos, access to online keno went through the roof.
Also, at this time, the major online casino developers like NetEnt and Pragmatic Play turned their attention to boosting their table and specialty games. With the switch from the archaic and sluggish Flash technology to HTML5, the awesome graphics for online keno games drew even more players, as well as the promotions.
Beyond the classic keno game online, developers like Microgaming and Pragmatic Play created amazing variants, including Super Keno and other exclusive variants among the real money and sweepstakes games that feature bonus rounds. With the prospect of bonus wins on top of the traditional keno payouts, continues to be a major attraction for players to invest and try their luck with online keno.
How to Play Online Keno
If you are used to playing keno at a land-based casino, you already have one foot in the door. Just like at retail casinos, the first step is to fill out an online keno card, which is similar to a lottery ticket. Depending on the online keno game, there are typically up to 80 numbers for players to fill out. Most standard online keno games choose up to 20 numbers. However, games like Super and Bonus Keno might have 25 or more numbers due to the bonus payouts.
Just like playing the regular lottery, the more numbers that hit, the greater the payout. Online keno gives the player the option of filling out the keno card themselves or letting the CPU do it for you. A random number generator is used to determine random and fair results in the keno draw. Playing online keno offers more daily drawing compared to playing in person.