History of the Game

In recent years the Strip casinos have gradually eliminated their lounge shows and converted these areas into keno lounges, and keno now can be played in nearly every casino on the Strip.

The keno lounge surrounds the area where the game is actually operated and called. The players' seats face a keno counter, where men and women, called keno writers, handle and mark the tickets, collect bets, and make payoffs.

They do this not only for those players coming to the counter, but for the numerous keno runners who come from all corners of the casino and hotel, gathering players' tickets and bringing them to the keno counter.

Behind and above the writers is the operator and caller of the game. He or she sits on an elevated seat and when the game is to begin, presses a button which automatically mixes the Ping-Pong balls in a large transparent bowl, and then the air forces these balls into a goose, one at a time.

There are generally two gooses, or tubes, extending from the bowl, each goose capable of holding ten balls. When twenty balls have been selected in this manner, the game is over.

As each ball is forced up, the number is read aloud by the operator, and at the same time is flashed onto every keno board throughout the casino, restaurants, and lounges of the hotel.

In this way, no matter where the players might be, they can easily follow the game. It is not necessary for players to remain in the keno lounge in order to play the game.

the oldest of gambling games

the player's ticket

the winning numbers

the Strip casinos