Analyzing the Differences and Similarities Between Land-Based and Online Keno

With numerous traditional casino games having their online counterpart, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the internet is crowded with comparison guides. A board with numbers one through eighty is what online and land-based Keno have in common, rules are the same, but there are some important differences between these two.

Do land-based and Internet Keno have the same house edge?

No, they don’t, and the difference is not small at all. While the online version rarely exceeds 12%, the edge for Keno played in brick and mortar establishments is around 30%. Or even higher than that. When parallels are drawn between them, more differences appear.

Stay tuned for comprehensive analysis!

Discussing the House Edge

Those among you who are just getting started are probably not YET aware of how crucial is the role of a house edge AKA advantage in casino games. Though many would say that the entertainment establishments beat punters purely because of luck, it’s actually the math that determines the winner.

Let’s take a simple example…

…in which the HE is 5%. If players collectively place bets worth $1million, on a completely random day and occasion, the venue will have a profit of $50,000. The remaining part will be paid out in winnings, and it’s around $950,000.

This, of course, applies in the long run. Things are considerably different when the time frame is reduced- playing releases with lower house advantage in shorter sessions does open more possibilities for winnings. But still, no guaranties when will the exact winning moment take place.

In the specific case of Keno…

…HE for the online variant is 12%, but if one explores persistently enough, there are varieties with the advantage as low as 5%. It’s still not the best percentage from the general point of view, but it’s acceptable. However, the edge for the “offline” variant is around 30% or even 35%, which is far away from player-friendly.

To sum up: Online Keno has a significantly better house edge.

What About the Atmosphere?

Even though technology development took gaming and gambling to a completely new level, showing that creativity is truly limitless, still, one thing cannot be fully revamped.

Yes, there are live games…

…and VR is providing the ultimately realistic experience. But, rarely anything can recreate the chaotic and adrenaline-inducing atmosphere found nowhere else but in terrestrial venues.

People visit entertainment hubs not only to play games but for its social aspect as well- take Bingo as an example. When playing Keno in the real-world parlor, there’s a whole ritual to be performed. From interaction with keno runner, selecting the numbers and placing the bets, to cashing out winnings, there’s plenty of backward and forward every now and again.

(Still, far away from enough to come up with “How to lose weight while playing Keno?” sort of a guide.)

On the other hand…

…those who opt for online variant won’t have to move a single millimeter, unless they are visiting the casino on the go, using some mobile device. The only necessary action to perform is clicking or tapping, and that’s all- everything is automatized!

For that reason, those who prefer all the hubbub of brick and mortar parlors would refer to online variant as sterile or dull, but it’s up to one’s preferences.

But there’s a fine compensation for this…

…in digital version of the game, in forms of chat rooms, which is one of the similarities it shares with Bingo games. It’s the platform where punters can discuss with each other, exchange tips and tricks, and in some cases play certain mini-games.

To sum up: The online version is not as social as the land-based, but it is faster, which is why a player should open eyes even wider and follow the bankroll more attentively.

Comparing the Options

Offline Keno is pretty simple and straightforward regarding the course of the game. A punter obtains a paper ticket and marks the numbers manually. There’s no option to change the mind unless a player decides to discard the ticket and start the session over.

While the list of possibilities for traditional games…

…more or less ends with these, the Internet version comes with a wider spectrum of commands and varieties. This makes the game optimized for various personality types.

For more than obvious reasons, the automatic selection of numbers in land-based hubs, for traditional type, is not possible, but the digital version comes with this feature. A punter can do that him/herself or let the machine select the numbers. There’s a Quick Pick as well, which randomly marks certain numbers, allowing players to add their own picks as well.

Not all the players…

…are quick at making up their minds on which numbers to select. That’s why the Clear/Unselect option comes in as handy, for indecisive ones. Punters can clear any chosen fields and start over as many times as they want- until the bets are placed.

Multiple sessions are available in both versions, but the terrestrial variant is much slower. Although the pauses between two sessions are not too long, still, one has more than enough time to follow the entire flow in a steady atmosphere.

The Internet version does provide breaks as well…

…as the punter him/herself determines when to click for the next round, but the process of number selection and round completion is faster.

Then, there are plenty of customization options for language and currency, and paytable itself. Some of them have a progressive function as well.

Unless you are the owner of a land-faced entertainment facility…

…you cannot enter the casino just like that and play Keno with no funds invested. There’s no demo mode in traditional establishments, and that’s a crucial difference between the online and offline games.

Thanks to fun mode, punters are given the chance to explore the game a bit, see how it works and whether it caters to their preferences, without having to deposit immediately. That’s one of the biggest advantages the Internet gaming has compared to the one in brick and mortar venues.

To sum up: Online Keno comes with plenty of options and commands which are not available in land-based facilities, giving punters the sense of better control over the game.

Exploring the Artistic Side of the Keno

Having a game that utilizes nothing more but a piece of paper and a crayon doesn’t look like a fertile ground for any creative inputs, does it?

It may be so in offline variants…

…where the only difference is which marker and color to use to cross the numbers, and the interface of the ticket itself. And perhaps the design of the numbered balls and the machine which ejects them.

The next stage of development brought state lotteries to add some unique ingredients to the game.

To make one thing clear…

…video keno is a sort of a cousin to VP and slot machines. Regular Keno, comes in either traditional form (physical tickets, and numbered balls…), or it may come with various modifications, in of design or features- when played on a machine or via the Internet.

Step by step, online Keno was born, and this opened the door for an even more impressive and richer palette of options. With the possibility to create a story and draw inspiration from some historic period or culture, the game was taken to new dimensions.

1×2 Network has several representative examples in its portfolio. Firefly Keno is an Asia-themed achievement, while Tutan Keno, as assumed, is inspired by Egypt. Keno Pop sees colorful party balloons exploding to reveal selected numbers.

Another perfect example is the selection of 3D games by Yggdrasil-Medusa Eyes of Fire, Siamese Serpents, Beaming Canine, and Precious Anuran. Besides 3D rendered graphics and superb animation, they have multiple features, such as complimentary rounds, extra balls during the draw, various multipliers, and win animations.

These several titles…

…are more than enough to give a hint on what are the possibilities and where are the boundaries. Or more precise, to show that there are no limits at all.

To sum up: Online Keno provides more room for creativity, allowing developers to implement various technological achievements.

Are the Same Rules and Strategies Implemented?

And last, but not the least important segment to compare- the rules and strategies. It’s a total of 80 numbers, with 20 to be drawn, but the JP is scored when one has 17 of them guessed.

That’s pretty much the basics…

…of how the game works, be it online or offline. If some features or bonus content is implemented, those are additions to the base game. One of the most intriguing “coup de théâtre” moments is the reward for the one who doesn’t guess ANY of the 20 drawn numbers.

It could be the simplicity related to rules the “main guilty one” that inspires (and will inspire) players to come up with new ways to beat the game. But, even those who have a modest knowledge of math could conclude the following:

The game is unbeatable.

No matter how great a specific pattern may look, or how legit a system appears to be, the truth is that nothing can beat a game that has a negative expected value in the long term.

Just go back to the house edge…

…and things will explain themselves. Superstitions and gambler’s fallacies have always existed, and always will, but the truth is that one has as much chance of winning by letting the lottery machine “auto-pick” the numbers as one does when crossing the numbers on the tickets him/herself.

It’s all courtesy of random number generator, but one cannot blame gamblers for wanting to have a sense of control over the game. Rarely anyone likes being deprived of that, it’s in human nature.

To sum up: Basic rules and course of the game are the same for online and offline Keno. The same goes for strategies, patterns, systems, but it’s important to know that- none of them works.

Final Thoughts

From bricks to clicks, gaming is revolutionizing continuously, redefining experience with each new achievement. Keno is by no means an exception, and developers are doing a great job in refreshing the offering with each new release.

Now that all the differences are exposed and explained…

…the final decision is always up to players and their personal preferences. Each of them has its pros and cons. Trying to determine which is better is an endless and eternal discussion, such as the one with skill-based and chance games, whether people exclusively opt for only one of these, or both. The truth and getting answers about slots is what players seek.

Online variants come with many more options, that’s a fact. But some, on the other hand, would find that abundance of choice unnecessary and complicating.

It’s just a matter of perspective, that’s all.

Frequently Asked Questions