For years, casino gaming experts have advised against playing keno games. The reason why is because the keno house edge can go up to 30% or higher. About the only gambling game that offers a worse chance to win is the lottery.

Of course, it's worth mentioning that online casino games often feature a lower house edge than their land-based counterparts. Using slots as an example, the online version normally offers a 5% casino edge, while land-based slot machines feature anywhere from a 7-15% house advantage.

Getting back to the subject of keno, many players wonder if they can improve their odds of winning though the online version. That said, let's discuss the typical online keno house edge and how it differs from brick and mortar casinos.

Finding the Best Odds

There is no uniform online keno house advantage because it differs from casino to casino. Furthermore, a casino's edge varies based on the type of wager you're making. For example, if you play keno at Microgaming casinos, you'll be dealing with a hefty 25% house edge for 1-pick bets. However, the casino edge drops from 8.91% to 4.81% for wagers ranging from 2-pick to 15-pick.

Playtech casinos, on the other hand, only offer bets ranging from 2-pick to 10-pick. Their house advantage stays roughly the same too as it moves from 8.91% to 8.45% with these wagers. Assuming you were going to pick more numbers, it would definitely make sense to opt for the Microgaming sites.

How this compares to Brick and Mortar Casinos

As discussed before, land-based keno games can offer up to a 30% house advantage, which is obviously worse than the online version. But in many cases, you'll be dealing with a 15-20% casino edge instead. However, this still isn't very good and will cost the average player a lot of money over the long-run.

If you're concerned about winning money, it's obviously better to play online keno due to its lower casino edge. However, some players will continue opting for brick and mortar keno because they enjoy the experience.