Bingo, Keno and Scratch Cards: The Ultimate Guide

If you thought gambling was only for the casinos, think again, because the most popular gambling games originate from outside the flashy rooms of casinos.

Bingo, Keno, and scratch cards are generally more accessible to the public because, to play them, you do not need to go to a casino; in most countries, you can just buy a ticket from a newspaper stand. Moreover, with the rise of online casinos, you can even play them from the comfort of your home!

In our comprehensive guide, we aim to introduce you to the rich history of these luck-based games, familiarize you with the rules and popular variants of the classic games, and share a few basic strategies to help you get started. 

A Brief History of Bingo, Keno & Scratch Cards

Bingo: From Italian Nobility to Modern Halls

Bingo’s roots can be traced all the way back to 16th-century Italy, where the first lottery game, Gioco del Lotto d’Italia, was launched. The game soon crossed borders in Europe, appearing in France as ‘Le Lotto’ in the 18th century, mostly played by members of the aristocracy. Interestingly, the same game was not used for gambling but as an educational activity for children in Germany in the 19th century.

Bingo’s final evolution took place in the United States by sheer accident. In 1929, American toy salesman Edwin S. Lowe saw a carnival game called ‘Beano’ where a player in his excitement accidentally yelled ‘bingo’ instead of ‘beano’. Lowe took the opportunity and rebranded the game as bingo, trademarked the term, and mass-produced the game.

In around ten years, churches and charities adopted the game for fundraising purposes. Today, bingo is not only an effective fundraiser but a billion-dollar industry operating worldwide, both offline and online.

Keno: China’s Ancient Lottery That Built the Great Wall  

According to historians, Keno’s origins can be traced all the way back to China’s Han Dynasty, in the 2nd century BC. Back then, the game was called ‘baige piao’ (白鸽票) or ‘white pigeon ticket’, because carrier pigeons were used to send the results. In Baige Piao, players had to select characters from Chinese poetry instead of numbers, and legend has it that revenue from the game helped fund several Chinese military campaigns, and even the building of the Great Wall of China!

The game crossed the ocean with Chinese immigrants who brought it to the United States in the 19th century. In the US, the game was first called ‘Chinese Lottery’, but when anti-gambling laws were passed, gambling operators renamed it ‘Keno’ after the French word ‘quine’, meaning ‘five winning numbers’, to avoid sanctions.

Keno, as we know it, was launched in Las Vegas in the 1960s, offering higher payouts than lotteries. 

Scratch Cards: Instant Winnings Since the 1970s  

Scratch cards are a much more modern invention than bingo or Keno. In 1974, John Koza and Daniel Bower, employees of the gaming company Scientific Games in Massachusetts, developed the first scratch card, or instant lottery ticket, as it was called then.

Scratch cards became popular overnight because they offered immediate results, eliminating the long waits for draws like the lottery. The first scratch card cost only $1, but it sold over $5 million in just a week!

Scratch cards became a worldwide phenomenon in the 1980s, and a decade later, themed cards like Monopoly scratch cards further boosted the game’s popularity.

At the beginning of the new millennium, online casinos began offering digital scratch cards. Today, scratch cards generate billions in revenue annually, with various themes ranging from classic cash prizes to branded pop-culture cards.

Scratch cards are usually available from minimal stakes to quite expensive ones: the world’s most costly scratch card costs 50 British pounds (around $65), and its top prize was £10 million.

How to Play Bingo, Keno & Scratch Cards  : Rules & Variations  

Bingo Rules

In bingo,  every player receives a 5x5 grid card with random numbers. The numbers are between 1 and 75 in the United States and between 1 and 90 in the United Kingdom.

A caller then announces the winning numbers randomly, while players mark the matching numbers on their grid cards. The first player to complete a predetermined pattern, usually a line os a full house, wins.  

Popular Variants

Here is a detailed breakdown of popular bingo variants:

Keno Rules 

In Keno, players choose 1 to 20 numbers from a pool of 80. The casino then randomly draws 20 winning numbers, and the payouts depend on how many numbers a player matches.

Keno has many variants, including Live Keno, which is played at casinos and online casinos, Video Keno, which is a fast, digital version of the classic game, and Multi-race Keno, where players can bet on multiple consecutive games.

Scratch Cards Rules

The rules for scratch cards can vary, but they usually involve matching symbols, such as three cherries, for the win.

Many online casinos offer themed games like Monopoly, Deal or No Deal, and multi-level scratchers, where bonus rounds can be revealed.

Key Differences

Basic Strategies & Tips for Bingo, Keno, & Scratch Cards

Bingo Strategies

In general, if you play more cards in bingo, you have a higher chance of winning, but try not to overload on cards. Also, if you choose less frequented games, you will have better odds because the competition is less. You can also take advantage of online bonuses, because many online casinos have welcome offers with extra cards.

The Tippett Theory (UK 75-Ball Bingo)  

For the UK 75-ball bingo, a statistician, L.H.C. Tippett, had a theory that in longer games, the early numbers are usually spread out, and later numbers group around the median, the number 38.

Based on his theory, a possible strategy is to pick cards with very high or very low numbers in short games and choose more mid-range numbers in long games.

Granville’s Method

For the U.S. 90-ball bingo, financial analyst Joseph Granville suggested choosing cards with an equal number of odd and even numbers, a mix of high and low digits, and no repeating endings.

Online casinos with bingo in their game selection often offer auto-daubing, which lets players play more cards efficiently.  

Keno Strategies

A general rule of thumb for Keno is to stick to fewer numbers, because hitting four out of four pays better than seven out of ten. You should also look for high-RTP games, because some casinos offer Keno variants with an RTP of more than 95 percent.

The 4-6-8-10 Strategy  

A straightforward Keno strategy is to only bet on 4, 6, 8, or 10 numbers, which is statistically optimal for payouts. Remember, hitting six out of six pays better than just eight out of ten. 

Cold & Hot Numbers  

Some players track casino Keno boards for patterns, labeling numbers frequently drawn in recent games as ‘hot’ numbers, and declaring less often drawn numbers ‘cold’, and ‘overdue’ for winning.

Be careful of this way of thinking, as the outcomes in Keno are entirely random and do not depend on the previous numbers. Also, the house has an exceptionally high edge in Keno, usually between 25 and 40 percent, so make sure to manage your bankroll in a disciplined manner.

Scratch Card Strategies

General best practices for scratch cards include setting a budget to avoid overspending while chasing wins, checking prize structures to find cards with the best odds, and buying scratch cards in bulk, because some retailers and online casinos might offer bulk discounts.

Buying in Bulk  

Buying in bulk might make sense because opened packs may contain guaranteed winning cards.

Buying More Expensive Scratch Cards

Cards over $5 often have a higher RTP (Return to Player) than $1 scratch cards.  

How to Get Started with Bingo, Keno & Scratch Cards 

If you have reached this far in our article, you should already know that in bingo, keno, and scratch cards, the house always has an edge, but if you understand the games’ mechanics, you can still choose your bets in a way that you get the best possible odds.

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