Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Whether you prefer to locate a blunt pencil and fill the paper form out, or you enjoy clicking or tapping your screen for faster gameplay online you need to know the terms involved in keno. We have compiled all the most common and even some of the lesser known terms you may come across in the game of keno.
Key keno terms
All or Nothing – A keno wager which pays out when every single number selected is drawn, or if no numbers selected is drawn depending on which option you go for.
Balls – these are the balls used in the game, numbered from 1 to 80. These can be physical (only found at land-based casinos these days) or virtual.
Blower – a feature to land-based live keno machines, which uses air to force the balls out for the operator to then remove and read out loud.
Bubble – where the keno balls are kept in the live land-based machines.
Call Bets – to call or announce the keno numbers which are being drawn.
Caller – the casino employee (can be a real person or recorded for the RNG games – see below) which announces the keno numbers drawn.
Catch – a winning number out of your selected keno numbers, aka to catch a number.
Catch All or Zero – similar to the All or Northing bet, where you can bet you will ‘catch all’ numbers or ‘catch zero’ numbers.
Combination Ticket – the single keno slip featuring more than one keno games. For example, wagers on three keno games, on the ticket, each with the same numbers.
Computer Ticket – simply a ticket which has been generated by a computer.
Deuce – two keno numbers which are directly adjacent to one another.
Draw – this is the name for the numbers drawn in a keno game, which can vary at land-based venues and online. It is usually 20 numbers, but can be from 10 right up to 40.
Draw Sheet – this is a sheet you can get at land-based venues which shows all the numbers drawn in previous games. In most cases online, this is displayed somewhere on the game screen.
Enhanced Payout – a payout which is received from playing a number of games on a single ticket, which is usually higher than if you played these games independently.
Exacta Ticket – a ticket where two games are played. These tickets generally see higher payouts.
Flashboard – the display board which reveals the numbers drawn.
Free Play – generally found online on RNG games where you can play with pretend money to get the hang of the keno title
Heads or Tails – an extra option in keno where you can pick whether the majority of the numbers will be in the top half, from 1 to 40 (Heads), or in the bottom half, from 41 to 80 (Tails). Evens is also available where you opt it will be an even amount in both the top and bottom halves.
High Roller Ticket – the minimum price for the single ticket is higher than normal.
Hit – you get a ‘hit’ when a number is drawn and it matches one of your selected numbers.
House edge – the advantage the casino, online or offline, or venue calculated as a percentage. Online is generally lower than offline (up to 20% offline, up to 10% online – the lower the better).
Keno Computer – a land-based machine where you, or an attendant, can enter your wager and check for winning tickets (online this is automatic).
Keno Counter – where you go to hand your ticket to an attendant to place your keno wagers or check your tickets (land-based only).
Keno Lounge – an area in land-based venues where you can sit and fill out your tickets, with attendants around to help out.
Keno Runner – an employee who runs around the land-based venues and collects keno tickets and pays the winnings.
King – a single number which is selected and works to make a bet or a way (see below).
King Ticket – a way ticket which features at least one King.
Live Dealer Keno – features a real dealer determining the keno draw and streamed in real time to your device, available at online casinos such as GdayCasino.com (by top live software developer, Ezugi).
Multi Keno Ticket – a ticket which features multiple games of keno.
Outside Ticket – this is the ‘receipt’ you will receive when you hand in your hand selected ticket at the land-based venue and will feature your keno wagers.
Pattern – any shape created when making a wager on a keno game.
Pay Any Ticket – a keno bet slip which will pay no matter how many numbers are caught.
Payout – the total amount paid out to a player.
Paytable – available online (located somewhere on the game screen) and at land-based venues (usually in a keno brochure), offering the available payouts.
Progressive Jackpot – a jackpot attached to the games which climbs thanks to a percentage of every player’s wager and can be won by earning a certain combination, a specified amount of numbers, or randomly.
Push – the payout is exactly the amount which was wagered.
QuickPick – your numbers can be auto-selected at land-based venues or online using this feature.
Race – one keno game.
Regular Keno Ticket – a ticket which doesn’t feature any extra bets other than the keno games
Replayed Ticket – if you want to replay your numbers for the upcoming keno draws you can give a played ticket to an attendant to replay.
RNG Keno – numbers drawn via Random Number Generator software (reputable sites such as the many we recommend utilise this software as do pubs and clubs) rather than by a live dealer.
Split Ticket – the one ticket featuring at least two groups of numbers.
Spot/s – the number/s you have selected on the keno ticket.
Ticket – also known as the bet slip, the ticket features 80 numbers (plus other details such as amount per game, number of games, etc.,) and players mark their spots either with a pencil at land-based venues or by clicking the numbers on the virtual interface online. Players hand the physical ticket in to place their bets, while online it is automatically registered once you press ‘Play’.
Video Keno – keno played using Random Number Generator (RNG) software, which you will find at most land-based venues and online.
Way – an extra bet made separately but on the same ticket.
Way Ticket – a bet slip featuring two or more keno wagers.