Before You Get Started
Playing keno online free doesn’t mean it doesn’t pay to do your due diligence. Getting a hang of the rules, terminology, user interface, and other aspects will set you up with a good foundation to play from. Make sure you have an understanding of all the different bet types and variations of keno available online. There are loads of free online keno games to choose from with varying number pools, payouts, and special features. Finding the right one for you is important, especially since you are just playing for fun.
Should you have some gaps in your keno knowledge, there is no need to fear. Just check out our How to Play Keno guide, which will take you through all the aspects of playing online. You can find lots of useful information there that can be directly applied to your gameplay, such as a handy breakdown of all the odds.
How To Play Free Online Keno
Unfortunately, for some, it is a lot more difficult to play keno online than others. This largely depends on your country of residence, which can have its own particular gambling legislation. The good news is that you don’t need to sign up at one to play. Many providers, alongside third-party sites, offer up large collections of games that you can play for free without requiring account registration or software downloads. You can find a large range of games ready to play right here at GoodLuckMate for instance. So, even if you live in a region with heavy gambling restrictions, it is still very much possible to find all these games to play for free.
Virtual Vs Live Keno
Some people love the peaceful solitude that virtual games provide, while others much prefer the buzz and excitement of live games. But what makes them so different? Virtual keno games employ random number generator (RNG) algorithms that allow the computer to take the place of a dealer or croupier. These algorithms are third-party verified and proven fair, ensuring that each result is truly random. As it is just you against the computer, you have the luxury of setting your own pace. Due to everything being handled by the computer, it is very easy to change between playing with real money and fake funds. The demo or free-play mode present in most virtual games allows you to play with an unlimited amount of fake funds. Furthermore, this creates an environment that is perfect for testing out strategies or simply learning a new rule-set.
Live keno games use live-streaming technology to broadcast each round in real-time directly to your screen. These games are populated with players who can communicate with one another and the dealer via live chat functionality. This is great for creating an immersive casino experience but does not lend itself to any kind of demo mode. As such, you will need to stick to virtual variants when looking for keno games to play for funds.
Understanding House Edge & RTP
The house edge or RTP (return to player) of any casino game represents the average expected returns for any given bet or rule-set. Both are represented as a percentage that both add up to 100% when looking at the same bet or casino game. For example, a bet type with an RTP of 95% will mean that there is a house edge of 5% for the same bet. The house edge is just taking the perspective of how much the house is expected to take, while the RTP is how much the player is expected to come out with. With this in mind, wagering €100 over an extended period of time on a game with an RTP of 95% will have an expected outcome of returning €95. You can see that the additional 5% or €5 is what makes up the house edge.
Keno is slightly more complicated with regards to its house edge when compared to other casino games. Each keno variant can have its own set of payouts, which drastically changes the house edge. Some online keno games can have an edge as low as 1.25%, while others go all the way up to 25%. Some land-based variants can even go to 30%. A house edge of 30% can put a big dampener on your fun even when playing for free.
Tips & Tricks For Playing The Best Online Keno for Fun
On the surface, keno is an incredibly easy and beginner-friendly game. The most complicated aspect of it is how it can change so much in its payouts from variant to variant. This requires players to have a firm grasp of the different probabilities at play, to effectively determine the value of each payout. Keno is also one of those games where unproven strategies get thrown around a lot. There are many different number picking strategies, such as sequential or hot number strategies. The problem is that these have no basis for improving your win rate. They are instead based on pattern recognition that is interpreted in what is essentially a completely random event. There is no harm trying out these strategies for yourself when playing for fun, but remember that such strategies shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
