When the topic of gambling comes up, the first things that pop into most peoples’ minds are cards and slot machines. The visuals are either people risking their hard-earned dollars inside seedy poorly-lit rooms or on flashy and luxurious gaming floors. However, what rarely anyone thinks about is that lotteries are the most established and widely legal form of betting on Earth, despite the public’s perception that they do not count as gambling.
Keno is a unique game of chance that falls into the lottery genre. Its novelty lies in that state/nation lotto operators offer it, but it also gets provided by high-end Vegas establishments for on-premises patrons. Keno has Chinese roots that date back to at least 2,000 years ago, and legend has it that it helped fund the Great Wall of China. In the mid-20th century, it got popularized around the globe, and at the tail end of the 1990s, online keno games became a thing. Today, there isn’t an interactive gaming platform that does not supply at least one random number generator-powered keno option. Thus, it should come as no surprise that several internet communities of fanatics of this game exist. We rattle off five such groups below.
The Keno Club
The Keno Club is the first result Google reveals when someone searches for a community of like-minded keno aficionados. Rudimentary account access here is free, but those wanting to receive enhanced features will have to pay $6 per month to become premium club members. The site has its keno software, and it organizes free-to-play contests. The main allure of the platform is its community section, where players share strategies, stories and recant some of their best keno hits. The Keno Club promotes responsible gambling, linking to SMART Recovery, the National Council on Problem Gambling, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. The site design is a bit outdated and crude. Yet, for a time, this place was buzzing.
The Lottery Subreddit
There is a subreddit for anything these days. Right? The truth is that when it comes to keno, there is not much in terms of sections dedicated to this game on this popular social media platform. That said, keno lovers can socialize and exchange information regarding this gambling option in the Lottery subreddit. It got created in 2009 and now boasts a user base of some twelve thousand members. The Lottery subreddit primarily focuses on cash state-organized lotteries. Hence, no links can get posted here concerning video keno or draws available at land-based casinos. Still, it is a decent spot to learn about different approaches to picking winning numbers and betting systems that can also get applied at Vegas-like locales.
I Love Keno
Since the Lottery subreddit stayed away from video keno, it is only fair that we mention a community that prefers it to state-run draws. I Love Keno is a Facebook group that may not seem like much at first sight. Nonetheless, it is surprisingly active, with several frequent members posting at least a few times per week. Thus, at least a dozen screenshots are getting published in this group every day, depicting members’ keno wins attained online and at physical establishments. The group’s founder is from Las Vegas, and most of its 4,600 members reside in Nevada. As mentioned, most posts here consist of photos of keno boards. So, the real wealth of knowledge lies in the comments, which no one should skip, as most contain nuggets of valuable info.
The Keno Fan Club Trip Report
Now here is something that many people do not know exists – Trip Advisor forums. These are old-school message boards hosted by the trip advisor website. Inside its Las Vegas forum, keno mavens can find the Keno Fan Club Trip Report. It is a topic dedicated to people sharing their Sin City experience and reporting back on how their keno gaming adventure went. Most of the posts in this thread are a few years old, but they provide some general Vegas gambling insight. The main reason we point out this group is to remind readers that they can find similar threads on Trip Advisor, ones concerning the destination they are thinking about visiting for some keno fun.
VideoPoker.com – Keno Forum
Video poker is the most underrated gambling option on casino floors. It is the only game where the player can gain an advantage over his operators. Keno often gets talked about as a casino choice that should get avoided due to its sizeable house edge. Yet, that is only valid for physical draws. Video keno features odds comparable to most slot machines. VideoPoker.com is a membership website that provides tutorials regarding multiple machine games. It also has a free message board that anyone can join, boasting a dedicated keno section.
About the Author
Shelly Schiff has been working in the gambling industry since 2009, mainly on the digital side of things, employed by OUSC. However, over her eleven-year career, Shelly has provided content for many other top interactive gaming websites. She knows all there is to know about slots and has in-depth knowledge of the most popular table games. Her golden retriever Garry occupies most of her leisure time. Though, when she can, she loves reading Jim Thompson-like crime novels.
