Reason #1 why the Wizard likes Bovada:

Excellent customer support

The thing that separates Bovada from the rest is its customer support. Many other online gaming companies outsource their support. It can be difficult getting a response from them, and if you do it is often slow and handled by somebody with little understanding of gambling or even of English. But Bovada’s support is handled by Bovada, and their support staff is actually knowledgeable and helpful.

I’m so confident that you’ll have a good experience with Bovada that if you have a problem getting paid and you can’t resolve it with them on your own, I’ll talk to them myself. I personally have known the Bovada management for about three years and always found them to be professional, friendly, and knowledgeable. I have also personally visited one of their call centers so I could see first-hand how they handle customer issues. (More on my mediation service.)

If you have a problem with any other casino besides Bovada, I can’t help you. I get complaints from players of other online casinos every day who have difficulty getting paid. However that isn’t my job nor my problem. If you play at Bovada after clicking through my site I’ll stand behind you 100%. Any place else and you’re on your own.

Visit Bovada

Keno

Last Update: Apr. 21, 2012

Play this realistic version of Keno at Bovada for free.
No registration is required, just one click and you’re in the game.

Introduction

Keno is a simple game of luck involving picking numbers, like the lottery. In keno the player usually picks 1 to 15 numbers from 1 to 80. Then 20 numbers will be drawn from the same range. The more numbers the player picked that match the drawn numbers, the more the player wins.

There are two formats for playing keno: live and video. In live keno the player uses a crayon and paper to indicate his picks. Every few minutes numbers will be drawn live from a hopper filled with numbered ping pong balls. In video keno the player uses a wand to pick numbers on a screen and the machine picks the draw randomly. Live keno plays much slower, but the house edge is much higher than video keno.

Calculator

Click the image below for my keno calculator. Then choose your number of picks, put in the pay table, and you'll have all the odds instantly.

9-Spot Survey

In 2001 I did a comparitive study of pick-9 keno games in Las Vegas. The following table presents my results in order or return, from highest to lowest. Since I did this survey, keno has been on the decline, and many of these casinos took out their live keno games.

Las Vegas Live Keno Survey
CasinoReturn
Silverton 79.85%
Arizona Charlie's 75.13%
Frontier 74.83%
Jerry's Nugget 74.78%
Nevada Palace 74.62%
Orleans 74.39%
Gold Coast 74.39%
Sam's Town 74.28%
Las Vegas Club 72.82%
Rio 72.76%
Mirage 71.87%
Bellagio 71.87%
Eldorado (Henderson) 71.38%
Golden Nugget 71.38%
MGM Grand 71.13%
New York New York 71.13%
Primm Valley Resorts 70.86%
Hilton 70.80%
Fitzgeralds 70.80%
Western 70.80%
Sahara 70.80%
Western 70.35%
Luxor 70.23%
Circus Circus 70.23%
Main Street Station 70.12%
California 70.12%
Riviera 69.66%
Stardust 69.44%
Plaza 69.18%
San Remo 69.08%
Aladdin 68.52%
Fremont 68.52%
Four Queens 68.52%
Bally's 68.17%
Treasure Island 67.54%
Caesars Palace 67.54%
Station Casinos 66.54%
Palms 66.24%
Monte Carlo 65.26%

San Diego Video Keno Survey

Between November 30 and December 1, 2008, I sampled the pay table for 25-cent and $1 video keno pay tables at 11 casinos in San Diego County. Following are the results, sorted first from highest to lowest, and second by alphabetical order.

San Diego Video Keno Survey
25-Cents
Barona 94.90%
La Posta 94.90%
Golden Acorn 92.62%
Santa Ysabel 92.62%
Viejas 92.62%
Pechanga 92.31%
Pauma 92.31%
Sycuan 92.31%
Valley View 92.31%
Harrah's 84.17%
Pala 84.17%

San Diego Video Keno Survey — $1
Casino Return
Barona 94.90%
Viejas 94.90%
Sycuan 94.90%
Golden Acorn 92.62%
Pechanga 92.62%
Pauma 92.62%
Harrah's 88.29%
Pala 84.17%

The La Posta, Santa Ysabel, and Valley View are omitted from the $1 survey, because I couldn't find ordinary keno in that denomination.

Disclaimer: The Barona Casino hired me to perform surveys of San Diego casinos for blackjack, roulette, and craps. Research on other games, including video keno, I did at my own initiative.

Other Games Surveyed in San Diego

Internal Links

External Links