Most casinos offer 'Keno runners' as a courtesy to players who happen to be in the dining room or poker table, but still want to play Keno. 'Keno girls' are often dressed much like cocktail waitresses and carry trays with blank tickets, crayons and spare change so that patrons can play keno anywhere in the casino.

Usually Keno runners cruise the casino calling out 'Keno?' to no one in particular. If you wish to engage the services of a runner, merely answer by saying the word 'Keno!' in a louder tone. The runner will stop by your table, wait for you to mark and pay for a Keno ticket, give you any change, and continue cruising.

The runner will take your ticket to the Keno lounge and have a dealer make a copy just as you would. Usually the Keno runners are the last to be served before the game is closed. The runners wait for the numbers to be drawn and then return to their customers with their tickets and winnings. They will also have a Keno ticket with holes punched for every number drawn, so you can lay the punched ticket over your ticket and count spots. While the casino makes every effort to ensure all runners make it back to the lounge before the game is closed, they cannot guarantee that your ticket will get played in the next game, nor that the dealer will copy your ticket correctly. Surely there are apocryphal stories of runners who were late to the lounge and caused a player to miss a 10-spot. You have to be willing to accept that additional risk if you use a Keno runner.

What's this 'red game' and 'green game' I see in some places?

Some casinos will run multiple games to entice players to wager more. You mark your ticket and tell the dealer to enter it in the 'red game', 'green game' or both. Basically it's a way to increase action (wagering) without having to increase floor space and staff correspondingly. There are 2 separate sets of balls and 2 Keno boards, but only one Keno lounge and set of dealers. The casino figures you won't want to just play one of the games because you 'know' if you play just the 'red game' your numbers will come up only on the 'green game'. So players tend to bet on both games, increasing the house's take. Mathematically there's nothing special about playing both games, though sometimes casinos offer prices for hitting on both games. You can calculate the odds of hitting on both games by multiplying combinations that pay off.

What is Video Keno?

Video keno offers the same odds as regular keno, but the payoff scale may vary from the casino norm. Often you can find Video Keno games where a casino doesn't have a live game, and the bet size is often lower.