First, let’s clarify which version of this game is best.
Yes, the odds are better in machine keno -— something on the order of an 8% to 12% casino advantage compared to about 30% in the live game. But you’re confused in thinking that this makes it the better option of the two. What the 11/12/07 QoD explained is that even though the house edge is lower and the denomination (usually nickels or quarters) is smaller, the excessive speed of the machines means you'll lose more money per hour than on a live game. And dollar-per-hour results is what’s most important.
Regarding randomness, keno machines are governed by random number generators, the same as slot and video poker machines. We’ve run other QoDs that address the degree of randomness possible in casino machines, and while RNGs are not completely random, they’re certainly good enough to make the assumption that the results are due to chance.
Actually, your statement that in live games, "every game is visible to the player" hardly applies today, given that the old cage-and-blower games are mostly gone, replaced by selection systems with their own RNGs. In fact, there’s a case to be made that the live games are more susceptible to manipulation (at least by the players) than the machine games. First in Atlantic City and later in Canada, savvy players were able to figure out where the "live-game" RNG ("seed") began each day and knocked off huge keno jackpots as a result. And these were only the cases that were discovered.
For a list of the few remaining keno lounges in Las Vegas, click here.
