Play Keno - Playing Keno

The game of Keno has been originated in China, although the word "Keno" has French/Latin roots. There is a legend, according to which the invention of the game saved an ancient city in time of war, and its widespread popularity helped raise funds to build the Great Wall. According to one source, results of Keno games in great cities were sent to outlying villages and hamlets by carrier pigeon. Eventually, Chinese immigrants introduced Keno to the West when they sailed across the Pacific to help build the American trans-continental railroad in the 19th century.

Keno is similar to lotto games, in that players have a card or ticket with numbers that are selected, hopefully to match the numbered balls that are drawn during play.

Play Keno - How To Play

First, players must purchase a Castle Keno ticket. To buy a ticket, place a $1 chip in the circle marked “Place Bets” on the Betting Board. None of the betting options can become active until a ticket is purchased.

Next, players try to predict which numbers will be drawn by marking from 1 to 15 of the numbered blocks (“Spots”) on the wall. To mark a block simply mouse over the block and click it. The block will change color to indicate it has been marked. As you mark each block, the Spots counter at the bottom of the screen will increment. (Note that it is possible to mark more than 15 Spots, but the numbers can’t be drawn until the number of Spots is reduced to 15 or less). To remove a mark, just click on the block and it will change back to the original color (and decrement the Spots counter).

There are five betting options in Castle Keno. Each option requires a certain number of Spots to be marked before it becomes active. As you mark Spots, the buttons for the options will light up when you have satisfied their minimum and maximum Spots requirements (see Betting Options below).

When you are satisfied with the arrangement of your Spots, click the desired betting option on the Betting Board to start the game. Twenty rocks will be hurled toward the Castle, striking different numbered blocks at random. As each rock smashes a block in the wall, a flag will unfurl to display the corresponding number. When a number you marked on the wall is struck by one of the rocks, that’s called a “hit”.

After the final rock has found its target, the player will be paid according to how many of the rocks hit marked blocks based on the payout table for the chosen betting option.

Play Keno - Betting Options

Our Keno game is played with a traditional 80-numbered ticket and a draw of 20 numbers whose function is similar to a standard lottery. The ticket is sectioned into a two halves, with numbers 1-40 on the top and 41-80 on the bottom. We've added a fun twist to the game by presenting the ticket as a Castle wall, with the 80 numbers painted on granite blocks that make up the wall. Instead of drawing balls to announce winning combinations, we use a rock thrown from a catapult to hit the block corresponding to each number drawn. Will the rock smash the blocks you selected? It’s fun to watch the wall crumble as you find out!

The five different ways to bet on a Castle Keno ticket are:

Play Keno - BET

The BET option is enabled once you mark at least one spot on the Keno ticket. (When you click BET, the game starts – so don’t click it until you are finished marking your numbers.) You can mark up to 15 of the 80 possible numbers, but no more than 15. You are paid if one or more of the numbers you marked is smashed by a rock from the catapult. When a number you marked on the wall is struck by one of the rocks, that’s called a “hit”.

Let’s say you mark 7 numbers. If any 4 of those 7 numbers get hit, you are paid $5. If any 5 of those 7 numbers are hit, your payoff is $20. If 6 of the 7 numbers get hit, it jumps to $250, and if you hit all 7 numbers, you win $2000!

Play Keno - BET AGAINST

BET AGAINST is enabled once you have marked at least 8 Spots on the ticket. With this option you are betting that none of the numbers you mark will be hit by any of the rocks thrown. You are paid only if none of the marked numbers get hit.

Play Keno - HIT ALL

The HIT ALL option can be played with 2 to 7 Spots marked on the ticket. You are betting that all the numbers you mark will be hit. You will be paid only if all the numbers you marked are among the 20 hits on the wall.

Play Keno - HIGH ROLLER

The HIGH ROLLER option is enabled once you mark at least one Spot on the Castle Keno ticket. HIGH ROLLER is played almost like the normal BET option, but the Payout is on a different schedule where you have to Hit more Spots in order to get paid, but when you do Hit them the Payout is greater.

Play Keno - TOP OR BOTTOM

TOP OR BOTTOM is the only option that is enabled before you mark the ticket. You only need to place your bet to be able to use this option. You are betting that the top or bottom half of the ticket will have significantly fewer hits than the opposite half. You don’t mark any spots, and you don’t need to choose the Top or the Bottom. You’re just betting that there will be a large difference between the hits each half gets.

The greater the difference, the bigger the payout.