A Quick Guide to Playing Keno at a Top Online Casino

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Published: March 28, 2019
Updated: August 18, 2025

If you are a lover of playing the lottery, or perhaps you enjoy a game of bingo, then Keno is a game for you. This game of numbers has been a popular title in land-based casinos for a very long time. Its inclusion in casinos on the online gambling stage means that you need not leave the house to have a go at winning some cash on the spot.

Unlike playing the lottery, you do not have to wait for a once-a-week chance to bring in the wins. Even land-based casino Keno games have intervals between draws. Online Keno will draw immediately after you have selected your numbers, so that you can play several games within a few minutes, all from the comfort of your armchair.

Online Keno basics guide — Introduction to playing Keno online

Keno is technically a casino form of the lottery, but unlike the massive wins afforded to you by lottery draws, Keno payouts are considerably less. However, the odds of winning are far better.

A brief history of online Keno

It is believed that earlier forms of Keno originated in China. Legends speak of the way the game was designed as a source of income for the government to raise funds for wars and battles. It is said that the Great Wall of China was funded in this way. The citizens of the country responded far better to paying towards winning a prize, rather than paying forced taxes. This way, everybody was happy.

The first officially recognised forms of Keno date back to the 19th Century, when the Portuguese began licensing the game in 1847.

Interesting fact: Chinese immigrants to the United States introduced the game in that area, resulting in the Americans making the game their own. The name “Keno” was first introduced in Houston, Texas.

Today, the modern versions of the game are playable at land-based casinos, in Live Online Casinos, and in virtual online platforms. The growth of the information age has even made it possible for such games to be played from the convenience of your palm, from your very own mobile phone.

Online Keno gameplay

Keno is a game based purely on luck. All numbers drawn are done by a “random number generator” and as such cannot be predicted at all. Because of this, you need not wear your brain out trying to think up strategies to manipulate or trick the machine, as this would prove futile.

Here’s how online Keno works:

1. Select your numbers

You will be given a number selection card (Keno Card) to mark your number choices on. This card is displayed with a grid of numbers ranging from 1 to 80.

2. Place a bet

You are then able to select your bet for the round by toggling the arrows next to the wager display. To increase the wager, press “Up”. To decrease I,t press “Down”. The more you bet, the more you will win if you make the correct choices.

3. Check the payout table

A side display will show potential payouts for different numbers of hits based on your selections. The more numbers you pick, the more hits you’ll need to win.

4. Quick-Pick Option

If you don't want to choose your numbers, you can ask the machine to make a random “quick pick” on your behalf. This works similarly to the “quick pick” function available at most National Lottery games.

5. Choose the number of draws

After making your selections and setting your bet, you may select the number of draws you would like the machine to play for you in succession. Usually, these selections range between 1 and 10 times.

6. Draw and results

Once you have selected how many times the machine should play with your selected combination, it will automatically progress to the selection of numbers. In Keno, the machine will select 20 random numbers that will be crossed off the grid. If any of these crosses land on your numbers, they will count as a “hit”.

7. Winnings

Odds and payouts depend on what ticket you have selected to play. These are determined by two factors: How many numbers you have selected to play with and how much you have wagered on your ticket.

Tips and tricks for playing online Keno

As stated earlier, Keno results are yielded purely by luck, and therefore, the tips we can offer you in this guide will not teach you how to manipulate the results, as this is impossible. They aim, rather, to give you some valuable game-playing wisdom.

Guide to playing online Keno — Learn how to play online Keno like a pro

Practice with free games

Playing free Keno games online will give you all the practice you need before staking real cash down with the possibility of losing it all. You can experiment with a different number of quantities so that you are aware of how the machines will payout. As we always say, confidence is most likely to yield success. A good place to build that confidence is to go for “Free to play” games.

Check the return-to-player (RTP) rate

Ensure that you play at a casino that offers a good return-to-player ratio.

It’s pointless choosing a game that has a 61% RTP when there are others that offer around 97%.

This means that for every credit spent, the casino will only take 0.03 credits towards profits and redistribute 0.97 credits back to the players. This does not mean that you will hit success in every game; it means that this amount will be awarded back to players around the globe within the course of the machine's lifetime. Still, an edge of 97% is far better than 61%.

Check for Keno bonuses

Find a casino offering good bonuses that can be used on Keno games. Because so many casinos prioritise their slot games and other table offerings, sometimes Keno is overlooked, but bonuses can be used on certain Keno games. This will help you settle into playing paid casino titles without spending too much money on the line.

Popular Keno games

For all the lottery fans, Keno is a must! You can choose among plenty of different Keno games, each of them adding fresh designs, features, and modernisation to the idea of this well-known game. We want to help you embrace some of the most beloved Keno games. Take a look:

Keno Universe

Keno Universe is a lottery-style game, offering jackpots of up to 10,000 times your bet. It is perfect for beginners as it is super easy & simple.

Visit

Burning Keno

Burning Keno is ready to light up balls with each game round. Enjoy this classic slot with 80 numbers and the opportunity for jackpot bonus wins.

Visit

Starship Keno Multiplier

Get into the sci-fi galaxy theme and be ready to enjoy 2x to 10x win multipliers and payouts of up to 10,000x your bet. Starship Keno Multiplier will thrill any Keno fan!

Visit

Get going

This guide provides you with all the basics needed to both play and understand Keno. At CasinoWow, we aim to please our guests. Therefore, we have a number of casinos listed, where you can try out online Keno now.