Play Online Keno Games

Step 1: Understand the Keno board

In the vast majority of cases, a typical game of Keno will consist of 80 balls - ranging from 1-80. Moreover, a game of Keno will see 20 balls randomly generated - either from a physical machine (if playing in the real-world) or via a random number generator (if playing online).

However, as there are now heaps of variations to the classic game, you might come across a version of Keno that has more/less balls than 80, and more/less drawn numbers. Nevertheless, for the purpose of this guide, we’ll assume that you are playing the traditional variant of the game.

Step 2: Assess the aim of the game

Before getting started, it is important that you understand what it is you are looking to achieve. In its most basic form, you are looking to match as many numbers as possible from the 20 drawn balls. This is no different to a game of bingo.

However, unlike bingo - which will keep drawing new numbers until a player gets either a line or a house win, traditional Keno limits the number of drawn balls to 20.

Moreover - and as we will discuss in step 3, Keno is based on a fixed-odds system, as opposed to the prize pooling system found in bingo.

Step 3: Evaluate the fixed-odds system

It is important to note that Keno operates on a fixed-odds model. In a nutshell, the more numbers that you are able to match, the higher the corresponding win. Before we present you with an example, it is crucial to recognise that the underlying odds will vary depending on the online casino. As such, you’ll want to stick with operators that offer the best fixed-odds on their respective Keno casino games.

Nevertheless, let’s say that you finish a game of Keno with 3 matched numbers. The prize for this is based on a multiple against your stake. As such, if the prize for a 3-ball win was 3x, and you staked £10, then your total prize would be £30. Alternatively, if you stake £50 and matched 3 numbers, then your prize would be £150.

The fixed-odds system is beneficial for a number of reasons. First and foremost, this essentially allows you to set your own stakes. For example, if you’re a casual Keno player and prefer playing for smaller amounts, you’ll likely find a casino that allows you to play at just 50p per game. At the other end of the spectrum, if you're a player that likes to chase that big win, then you might be able to play at well over £1,000 per game.

The second key advantage to playing online Keno is that you can play whenever you see fit. As the underlying ball-generation process is backed by software, you can play around the clock.

Step 4: Pick your ‘spots’

This particular step of the end-to-end Keno process is potentially the most important. Firstly, when you choose your numbers (remember, this usually ranges from 1-80), each pick is known as a ‘spot’.

Now, when it comes to the number of spots that you need to pick, this will depend on two key variables. Firstly, this is down to the specific online casino site that is hosting the game. In other words, while some casinos might allow you to pick between 1-10 spots, some might allow you to pick up to 20.

The second variable that you need to consider is the underlying RTP (return to player) for your chosen number. For those unaware, the RTP relates to the casino’s long-term advantage that it has over the player. For example, if the RTP was 94%, this means that over the course of time, the casino would retain 6% of all player stakes. As such, the higher the RTP, the more chance you have of walking away a winner! Check our best online casino payouts page for a verifed list of high paying casinos.

Nevertheless, the specific number of spots that you pick will have an impact on the RTP that you get for that respective Keno game. Once again, this will vary depending on which online casino you are using. Typically, as more and more spots are selected, the underlying RTP will go against you.

Step 5: Choose your stakes

As we at BingoSites noted earlier, one of the best things about playing online Keno is that you get to choose your own betting parameters. By this, we mean that the game is suited to both low stakes and high stakes players, not least because you can choose how much you want to bet on each game.

As such, before the game starts, you will need to select your stake. In most cases, the casino will list a number of ‘chip denominations’, such as 50p, £1, £2, £5, and so on. If you wanted to bet £3.50 per game, you could do so by click selecting the £1 chip three times, and the 50p chip once. As you click on each chip, the stake box will update accordingly. If you press the wrong chip and you want to reduce the current stake, you can simply click on the 'Clear Bets' button.

Step 6: Get those Keno balls rolling! 

So now that you have set your pre-game betting parametres, you are now ready to enjoy your very first game of Keno. As soon as you click on the 'START GAME' button, the underlying software algorithm will begin drawing numbers.

As noted earlier, this is typically 20 individual balls. As you go through the game and match a number, your Keno card will automatically update. As such, there is no requirement to do anything other than enjoy the game!

Once the 20 balls have been drawn, hopefully, you have matched enough of your chosen spots to win a prize. The minimum amount of spots that you need to match will once again depend on the casino you are playing at.

In most cases, casinos will pay a prize for matching just 1 number. Ultimately, the more spots that you do end up matching, the higher your prize will be.