ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 9, 1996 TAG: 9601110022
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
Keno is a casino game that was introduced in lottery form in Oregon five years ago. The game has spread to 11 states. Four states have weekly or daily drawings, while six others draw numbers every few minutes. California has both varieties, according to the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries.
The Maryland Keno game, for instance, is played using the numbers 1 to 80. The player can select - or let a computer pick - up to 10 numbers. The computer randomly chooses 20 winning numbers for each game and displays those winning numbers on the video monitor.
The player can wager from $1 to $20. There are many options for wagering: For instance, if a $1 bet matches one number, the player pockets $2; the player who matches 10 wins $100,000.
Keno is a cash cow for lotteries because it brings in new outlets such as restaurants and bars. Georgia, which introduced Keno last month, reports profits of $1 million a week at 300 outlets. Keno also is an important part of lottery revenues in West Virginia and Maryland.
Keno can generate a crowd. Instead of picking up a ticket on the way home, Keno players may hang around for hours at a time, transfixed by numbers flashing across a television screen.
Two years ago, the West Virginia's Legislature banned sales in convenience stores.
In Watertown, Mass., the City Council recently revised local zoning rules to limit Keno outlets to bars. "We did not want children to be exposed to certain elements of society when they were shopping for a loaf of bread," explained Town Clerk John Flynn.
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