Keno Terminology: A Complete Glossary

A

Aggregate Limit – This is the total amount that can be paid out in a single round of Keno from all of the numbers played.

All or Nothing – This bet will only payout if all of the numbers match, if one or more numbers do not match then the bet pays nothing.

B

Bankroll – This is a term for the total amount of money a player has available to play with.

Blank Ticket – This is an unmarked ticket.

Blower – In a live game of Keno the balls are mixed to ensure that they are randomly selected before being ejected. This is done by a jet of air which comes from the blower.

Buy in Tournament – This is a Keno tournament which has an entry fee that players must pay before entering. This makes it a more exclusive game and means it would usually have higher payouts.

C

Caller – This is the casino employee who reads out the numbers drawn from the machine.

Catch All – An alternative name for an all or nothing game. The player must match all of the numbers to win.

Catch Zero – The opposite of Catch All. In this game the player must not have any matching numbers in order to win.

Combination Ticket – A ticket which has several different bets at the same time.

Computer Ticket – A ticket on which the numbers are auto selected by a computer.

D

Draw – The action of selecting and calling the 20 balls for a particular round of Keno is known as the draw.

Draw Sheet – A record of the numbers that have been selected in previous draws.

E

Edge Ticket – The numbers on a Keno ticket are usually displayed in a grid and an edge ticket is one with all of the numbers around the edge of that grid selected.

Enhanced Payoff – A ticket with multiple bets on it which receives a greater payout if all of the bets are successful.

Exacta – A ticket that is played over two separate rounds and which receives a greater payout if they are both successful.

F

Flashboard – The digital sign-board in a casino that displays the winning numbers from each draw.

H

High End Ticket – A ticket that has an enhanced payout if the player has selected a large amount of winning numbers. This usually means that if the player only selected a small number of winning numbers correctly then the amount paid out is reduced.

High Roller Ticket – A ticket with a high minimum price or bet.

Hit – When one of the numbers a player marked on their card comes up in the draw.

Hold – The amount of money kept by the casino after paying out all of the winnings.

House Edge – The amount of money not paid out in winnings and kept by the casino. This is calculated as an average over many games so it may not necessarily reflect the amount paid out in any particular round.

I

Inside Ticket – This is the ticket that the player completes and hands to the writer or runner in order to place their bet.

K

Keno Counter – Where Keno players can get tickets, place bets and collect their winnings.

Keno Lounge – The section of a casino where the Keno drawer takes place. If it is a live game then this area will contain the draw machine and the Keno counter, if there is no live draw then the winning numbers will be displayed on several screens spaced around the area.

Keno Writer – The member of staff who takes bets, prints tickets and pays out winnings at the Keno Counter.

King – When a number is circled on a Keno ticket it is known as a King.

L

Left Right Ticket – A ticket where the numbers are split by a vertical line. The aim is to only match the numbers on one side of that line.

Live Keno – When the balls are drawn using a machine by a real casino employee. This has now often been replaced by computer generated virtual Keno.

M

Multi Game Ticket – A ticket that is used for several different rounds.

O

Odds – Odds are the amount that a casino will pay out on any given bet. They are calculated using the mathematical probability so the less likely it is that a player will achieve a certain bet, the higher the return on that bet will be.

Online Keno – A Keno game played either through your browser or an app using a mobile, tablet or desktop computer.

Outside Ticket – When a player hands the Inside ticket to the casino they are handed the outside ticket as a record of the wager.

P

Paytable – A list of the payouts available in the game and also detailing the odds available. These will vary from casino to casino.

Pay Any Catch – This is a ticket that will have a payout if any of the players marked numbers are drawn.

Punch Outs – A sheet with a small hole removing each of the numbers from a previous draw. This allows players to easily compare it with the tickets they played.

Push – This is when the amount won is the same as the amount wagered.

Q

Quick Pick – When the numbers for the ticket are selected at random by a computer.

Quit Race – When a player cashes in a multi game ticket before all of the draws have been completed.

R

Rabbit Ears – Two tubes on the top of the draw machine which are arranged in a V shape and contain the numbers for a draw.

Race – A slang term for one round of Keno.

Random Number Generator – If a physical machine is not used to draw the numbers then they will be drawn using a computer using a piece of software called a random number generator.

Rate – The price of one individual Keno ticket.

Replayed Ticket – When a ticket is used to play another round after the one to which it was originally entered using the same numbers and bets.

Runner – A member of Casino staff who moves around the casino collecting tickets and wagers from players.

S

Sleeper – A winning card that hasn’t yet been presented to the casino to receive the payout.

Spot – A number that has been marked on the card.

Straight Ticket – The simplest form of the game, a straight ticket simply has a series of numbers selected for that round without playing any of the more complicated bets or multi-draw options.

Split Ticket – A ticket on which two or more sets of numbers are being played at the same time.

Stud – A Keno game where the top prize will continue to increase with every round until it is won. This is also known as a progressive jackpot.

T

Ticket – The piece of paper or card on which the player marks the numbers they wish to play is referred to as a ticket.

Top Bottom Ticket – A ticket with the numbers split through the middle by a horizontal line. To win the player has to match numbers in only one half of the ticket, not the other.

V

Verifier – A person whose job is to check that all parts of the game, but particularly the draw machine, are operating properly.

Video Keno – A game run on screens or computers rather than being run by a live caller drawing the numbers form a machine.

W

Way – Each of the individual bets on a ticket containing multiple bets is known as a way.

Way Ticket – A ticket containing more than one bet.

Winning Numbers – In Keno twenty balls are drawn in each round and these are known as the winning numbers.