Online Casinos – Relative Volatility in Keno, it’s all In the Numbers
By: Jerry Whittaker
It is not only in online casinos that volatility plays a role, it plays a role in all casino games and this is a term meaning fluctuations up and down, in winning and losing. Volatility is chiefly used with regard to slots but in keno it also applies as standard deviations are very much a participating factor. This is particularly so in these random number games.
Keno is in fact an extremely volatile casino game and there are two main characteristics which come into play. One – the possibility of winning a very large amount of money for a very small wager and two – more frequently experienced low to moderate payouts. In low volatility games the second possibility applies, in high volatility games the first possibility applies.
Much like playing online slots, keno volatility is determined from the pay tables. If you are playing this game online it will always come with a pay table for you to consult. With keno, as you mark more numbers off on the play board you will see the pay tables increase and as well as determining the wager required, this also determines what you will win if you win. To compare relative volatility in this game, two games must be compared side by side and this will allow the player to see which game is the best value for their money and which will pay the most on a win.
Keno generally allows for up to 15 slots to be marked on the card, and this is usually the maximum. When making any kind of comparison you have to compare apples with apples which means compare the same amount of slots marked off on each keno card.
Different software games have different levels of relative volatility. For example the Real Time Gaming version of keno: All online casinos operate off specific software platforms, and this is what Real Time Gaming is, a software platform. Their keno has high volatility and this means it offers the potential for very large payouts. For getting 12 numbers out of 15, they will pay 25 000 currency units, for 13 of 15, this is 50 000 and for online casinos using Vegas Technology, this is far lower. They offer only 600 currency units for obtaining 12 out of 15 and for 13 out of 15, this is 1 200. This is a relative volatility comparison example at its best. If you are paying the same amount of money for a wager and the prize is higher at another online casino, then the aim of the game is to play where you get the better value for money. Always try to make sure you compare games that are the same at different online casinos as volatility is a pretty important variable.
