Carolina Keno begins Sunday, Oct 29

October 16, 2017 Posted by NC Lottery at 9:56 AM

Beginning Sunday, Oct. 29, you can try your luck with a brand new draw game called Carolina Keno that offers chances to win prizes in drawings every five minutes.

Carolina Keno is a fast-paced, exciting lottery game. It will offer a fun, new lottery experience for many and help raise additional money for education, the good cause the lottery serves.

The new game is played in social settings such as restaurant, bars, and stores with spaces where people gather for food and drink. Typically, people play Keno with their friends, buying tickets as they socialize and watch nearby TV monitors for the winning numbers in the drawings.

Carolina Keno is the first new draw game offered by the lottery since February 2016. Eighteen other states already have their own version of Keno, including the neighboring states of Tennessee and Georgia.

Since Carolina Keno is a social game, it will be found predominantly in social businesses, including restaurants, bars, taverns, coffee houses, pubs, ale houses, bowling alleys, and fraternal organizations. The game will begin in more than 680 locations across the state, with additional locations coming soon.

Carolina Keno lets the players pick the prize they want to play for. Here’s how the game is played:

For each drawing, 20 numbers out of 80 possible are selected as winning numbers.
Players choose how many numbers, or spots, they want to try and match. The number of spots you play and match determines how much you win.
The price is determined by the player. You can buy a single drawing for $1, $2, $3, $5, or $10.
Prizes range from $1 to $1 million. Every additional dollar played multiplies the potential winning prize amount. For example, buying a $1 ticket for 10 spots could win you $100,000 if you match all ten spots or buying a $10 ticket for 10 spots could win you $1 million if you match 10 spots.
Approximate overall odds of winning a prize range from 1 in 3.86 to 1 in 16.63. The approximate odds of winning $100,000 or $1 million on a 10 Spot Game are 1 in 8.91 million.
Players must be 18 years old to play. Keno retailers are responsible for checking IDs to ensure players are 18 or older just as they do with other age-controlled products that they sell.

For additional info on Carolina Keno, go to http://www.nc-educationlottery.org/keno.aspx.

66 COMMENTS

10/26/2017 09:52 - Charlotte B.

Fyi. Trucks and bucks tickets - can't enter for 2nd chance drawing/ points. TYNC Lottery
Hi there, CVB27803. The Trucks and Bucks game launched in April of 2015. That game is no longer active. You cam view a list of active games on our website here:http://www.nc-educationlottery.org/instant.aspx.

10/25/2017 09:23 - michael e.

Not really looking forward to keno coming to NC lottery I won't play if it does come !!!

10/25/2017 03:19 - Dewey J.

Could you please post the locations to play on Sat Oct.28 so we will have time to decide where to go? You know where they going to be so please do that. Thanks. NC Lottery
We are working on an interactive and user-friendly way to do just that. So stay tuned!

10/25/2017 01:00 - Denver G.

Hey LZ, how you guys doing this crisp fall day? Question, will the vending machines be able to check your Keno tickets an ask you if you want to use your winnings toward a purchase ???NC Lottery
Hey there, Turbo. It feels like a great day to be outside, visit a pumpkin patch, or pick some apples. We have some good news for ya. You can check your Keno tickets on the vending machine and reinvest your winnings towards a purchase, just like other games.

10/25/2017 12:18 - Denver G.

On 10/25/2017 10:33, meltev58 said Will you be able to purchase your Keno tickets and return home ..if a prize is won redeem later?***** I was just at the place I am going to play Keno. The tavern part has the TV screen but doesn't open till noon. I always by my lottery tickets early in the morn. I ask the clerk do I have till wait till noon to buy my tickets. He said no you have to get your tickets over here anyway. You can get your tickets & cash them in any time you want after the game launches on Sunday. No need to sit around & wait for the drawings.

10/25/2017 10:33 - Melrose W.

Will you be able to purchase your Keno tickets and return home ..if a prize is won redeem later?NC Lottery
You can only play Keno at locations licensed for the Keno game. You can claim your Keno prize at any lottery location. Remember though. If you win $600 to $99,999, you claim at a lottery claims center. If you win $100,000 or more, you claim your prize at lottery headquarters. Good luck to you.

10/24/2017 10:05 - Denver G.

Well I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be for this keno game. I got my play slips & instruction pamphlet today. I'm kinda stoked & ready to play. let's get this party started !!!!NC Lottery
Glad to hear it, Turbo. It's the final countdown!

10/21/2017 06:57 - Thom B.

Why is this being marketed as a "social game" only playable in restaurants, bars, etc.? Are you not alienating a lot of your base players who have been going to the same convince store for ten years and now forcing them to go into a bar to buy tickets? Will restaurants accept the people in their establishment taking up space just to play Keno and NOT eat or drink? NC Lottery
Hi there! The game will also be offered at gas stations and fraternal organizations, too! We are also adding retailers every week. Like the 18 other states who also offer Keno, the retailer must offer a space where customers can sit down, since the game is not as 'quick' as a scratch-off or draw game. It's just a different type of game and a different type of play. You can play keno at any of the retailers who offer it, regardless of whether you purchase food or drink. It's just like going to a gas station and not purchasing gas or something to eat or drink and only buying a lottery ticket. Hope that helps!

10/21/2017 06:21 - Tony T.

just a little something I noticed when I bought a $ 2.00 double match game. It says, 2 ways to play, 2 ways to win. However, per the instructions at the bottom...there are actually supposed to be 3 ways to win . Just has me scratching my ticket AND my head a bit, lol. NC Lottery
Thanks for sharing, NotSharon :) Just consider it an extra way to win! Never a bad thing!

10/19/2017 01:28 - shannon r.

So on the new upcoming website it will not check our tickets when we enter them?instead we will have to check them AND enter them seperatley!is this correct?i hope not .seems easier to just tell us if it is a winner when we enter them.thanks.NC Lottery
Correct. You can scan to see if you have a winning ticket. That's the ticket checker function. But you'll still have to scan again to enter the ticket into your Lucke-Rewards account and get your points. Would have liked to have made it one scan, but it wasn't feasible at this time.

10/19/2017 01:20 - Denver G.

LZ, glad to see the new app & website are just around the corner. Now how about eliminating the user name "PLAYER" like you say you were going to do over 2 years ago.. It is very frustrating when 1/2 of the members go by "player"......NC Lottery
Working on that too, turbo. So stay tuned.

10/19/2017 11:41 - Tony T.

@freespirit...the directions how to play cash 5 and ez match are on the NCEL homepage under that game but yeah, I guess it can be confusing if a first time player.

10/19/2017 11:02 - Wilhelmina B.

I have a hard time with getting the winning numbers live. I always get a commercial and the numbers don't show at all until several minutes after the draw when I log back in. Why don't you have the live draw from your web site like it use to be? NC Lottery
Hi there, Paulette. Are you watching the live drawing on one of our draw stations? You can see a list of our draw stations here: http://www.nc-educationlottery.org/about.aspx The drawings are held at WRAL studios in Raleigh, and we receive videos from them. You can always watch the draw videos on our website, too. They just have a delay.

10/19/2017 09:53 - Tony T.

@skull, there are for sure more losers than winners in all these games, multi state and in state games. Please don't go poor taking a chance, not worth it.

10/19/2017 09:24 - R W B.

A store clerk urged me to purchase an ezMatch Cash5 ticket, a game I had not previously played. As with all Cash 5 draw tickets, I was under the impression that an ezMatch number had to match one of the numbers drawn for that night's Cash 5 drawing. One of my ezMatch numbers did match one of the numbers for that evening's Cash 5 drawing which led me to believe I had won $500! Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that ezMatch numbers had to be an INSTANT match to one of the numbers on the draw ticket JUST PURCHASED for that night's drawing! The instructions say: MATCH THE EZ MATCH NUMBERS WITH ANY OF THE CASH 5 NUMBERS FOR THAT PLAY AND WIN PRIZE SHOWN "That play" is the confusing part. May I suggest the wording to be changed to read: MATCH AN EZ MATCH NUMBER WITH ANY OF THE ABOVE CASH 5 NUMBERS AND INSTANTLY WIN THE PRIZE SHOWN. I was unaware that ezMatch is an INSTANT win game. NC Lottery
Thanks. We'll share your suggestions.

10/19/2017 05:13 - Kavin C.

The $500 cash drawing that took place on 10/18/17, what was the average number of entries turned in and what was the highest number of entries? I submitted 128 entries and I was wondering if that was a lot in comparison with others... NC Lottery
Hi there, Kavin & Gina. There were 255,710 entries in the $500 Quick Cash drawing. It is important to remember, there are over 700,000 active members on Lucke-Zone making entries into drawings just like you. The blog moderators do not track or receive reports of the number of entries each individual makes.

10/19/2017 02:08 - Lois B.

I have never played Keno maybe I will give it a try and see if it is something I like.NC Lottery
Great. Thanks for giving it a chance.

10/19/2017 12:37 - Kavin C.

I read a comment of someone asking when we can get the locations of Keno retailers, and your reply was the weekend that it starts!?! So are you seriously saying that the State of North Carolina doesn't have a list of where you can play Keno and will not provide it to the public until the weekend that it starts??? NC Lottery
The lottery and the Keno retailers are busy getting reach for the start of the game. The Keno locator will be up and running the weekend the game starts. We hear you on the list. And we're looking for options that might be feasible in posting a list online. So stay tuned.

10/19/2017 12:30 - allison m.

I get an email verifying what tickets I scan but im,scared I'll miss an email saying I'm a winner. It should be a message button lit up if your a winner NC Lottery
Thanks. Will share your suggestion.

10/18/2017 10:56 - Patricia M.

I will win can't wait ??

10/18/2017 10:46 - Crystal M.

I was looking forward to playing Keno but since it’s only going to be at certain places, my interest has decreased. I will probably have to drive 30 miles for tickets. Happen not gonna. How inconvenient. Someone should have thought this out better. Smh. NC Lottery
Hopefully there will be a location closer to you. As the game matures, more and more locations will be Keno retailers.

10/18/2017 09:44 - robert s.

Played it in NY great game

10/18/2017 06:25 - Shawn D.

I feel like I don't have no luck on lucke rewards or no scratch offs I believe it's all a gimmick I'm getting poorer in poorer by playing the North Carolina education lottery...smh

10/18/2017 06:11 - owen w.

Played Keno 30 years ago in Vegas .All the Casino,s have Keno .First time i played was at Bellagio,s casino . in Vegas .Picked my numbers while having Breakfast at Bellagio,s .Won $3000.00 TAX FREE Because i was a V.I.P THERE ,Everything free .Any time i wanted to stay for a week or two or longer .High Roller The Eye

10/18/2017 03:49 - montory p.

Can you play if you the only one in a social setting betting, can you still bet in spots. NC Lottery
Yes.

10/18/2017 03:25 - Chavelia T.

Please think abiut starting the cash 5 at 100,000.00 All The Time!!!...

10/18/2017 02:40 - Denver G.

Maybe I just got a hankerin for some fried chicken. Is it just me or does the Carolina Keno logo look like that famous fast food fried chicken logo??? Just sayin , shouldn't it have looked more like the NCEL logo? Is it Bo time or go time, or let's get this party started time??

10/18/2017 01:28 - cheryl c.

almost ready to give up second chance drawings. Never win, or hear or winners. Beginning to agree with my wife, that I am wasting my timeNC Lottery
You can "hear" about winners by reading our blog. We sometimes write stories about the lucky winners. You can also see the winners on the Winners page of the Lucke-Rewards tab. You filter using the "Expired" filter and then "View" the list of winners for the drawings you are interested in. Here's a link to that page. https://rewards.lucke-zone.com/drawings

10/18/2017 01:04 - Danny P.

Question! Will Carolina Keno be drawn with live balls 1-80, or by Number Generator Machine?NC Lottery
With a certified random number generator. Drawings are held every five minutes.

10/18/2017 11:48 - William D.

I found a new button on the winners that show your points. Says "view Winners"! goes back about 5 years.

10/18/2017 11:44 - William D.

It would be nice to know where the locations are before it starts instead of the day it starts.

10/18/2017 10:58 - Edith A.

Everytime I enter the 2nd chance drawings, I get confirmations and what I have entered. Do I need to print these off or keep them on my computer save for proof, or can I just go ahead and delete them? NC Lottery
You can delete the confirmation emails. That's just reassuring you that you successfully made an entry. Thanks for participating in Lucke-Rewards.

10/18/2017 04:57 - Chavelia T.

Ok major winners are always in Fayetteville, raleigh, Winston-Salem area Every now and then Charlotte gets a bone. 50k, 20k, 10k, where is that money? My group has been playing for years. Charlotte deserves more winners in all games.

10/18/2017 02:17 - Donald W.

When will the locations be announced that will offer Keno when it starts on Oct 29?NC Lottery
As the game begins, you'll be able to go to the lottery's website and locate Keno retailers in your zip code. So look for that feature the weekend of the 29th.

10/18/2017 12:39 - Michael R.

Ready to try to play ready to try to play

10/17/2017 11:21 - Michael B.

Could you do a example video of how play Keno when the game is released some of us are visual learners NC Lottery
Yes we can. Coming soon.

10/17/2017 09:48 - Vickie L.

Need to change my address on id for my acct. dont have a car cant get to dot. Can play anything else Until i get it changed.NC Lottery
Simply click on your username located at the top-right of the page. Click on the "Edit" link next to the information that you would like to change and follow the instructions. Do not create a new account. Some information is not editable once registered and may only be changed via online support.

10/17/2017 08:05 - lucinda g.

when will we start our own lotto ?NC Lottery
No plans for our own lotto game yet. Let us get Keno up and running. Hope you will give it a try.

10/17/2017 06:49 - Brian V.

So lz where is the list of winners in the second chane drawings already passed?NC Lottery
Go to the Winners tab under Lucke-Rewards. Then use the filter to just review "Expired" drawings and then hit the "View" link. https://rewards.lucke-zone.com/drawings

10/17/2017 06:44 - Ralph W.

What is the use for collecting all the Lucke-Reward points when it seems as if people in the Winston-Salem area never win.I have lots of points and I always use them but I don't ever win seem like guess it's better to just throw the non-winning tickets away just not happy with North Carolina Education Lottery right now I'm just saying.

10/17/2017 06:35 - michael e.

some locations offer keno some don't what do you do maybe don't play !!

10/17/2017 03:43 - Denver G.

Lz, per taugust1970 question. I can agree with the 1st part of your answer but have trouble believing the 2nd part***(No. They will not. You can only play Keno at locations licensed for the Keno game. You can claim your Keno prize at any lottery location)***. If a gas station can not produce a keno ticket from a playslip. How are they going to scan a ticket you bring in to see if it's a winner or not. I hope you are correct and I am wrong. It all just seems odd, because it's all so new to us. Time will tell, we've both been wrong before. big LOL....NC Lottery
Hey, Turbo. Doublechecked before posting the answer. The same gaming system that keeps up with the draw tickets such as Powerball, Cash 5, etc. is used for Keno, also a draw game. So all terminals will recognize winning Keno tickets and pay the prize. But the Keno tickets can only be sold at licensed Keno retailers. Hope that helps. Thank you though for helping us keep things straight for so long here in the Lucke-Zone.

10/17/2017 12:10 - Thom B.

So if I fill out a keno play slip and take it to any gas station, will they not be able to print me a ticket? Can I redeem winners at any gas station? NC Lottery
No. They will not. You can only play Keno at locations licensed for the Keno game. You can claim your Keno prize at any lottery location. Remember though. If you win $600 to $99,999, you claim at a lottery claims center. If you win $100,000 or more, you claim your prize at lottery headquarters. Good luck to you.

10/17/2017 11:00 - William D.

guess your answer to my question is "no address" for keno locations.NC Lottery
Winner B2. When Carolina Keno begins on Sunday, Oct. 29, the lottery's website will have a locator function that will allow you to put in your zip code and find a place to play Keno near you.

10/17/2017 06:38 - Justyn D.

Ok now that I have 269 reward points how do I redeem them to enter into a prize or what ever????NC Lottery
Great. Your Lucke-Rewards Points can be used to enter drawings! Current options are shown on the Drawings page, along with the number of points per entry. Click the "Enter Drawing" button for the drawing you would like to enter. Then select the number of entries you would like and click "Submit Entries." Review your request and click "Submit Entry." You will see a confirmation page and also receive an email confirmation. You can request as many drawing entries as you want, provided you have enough points. There may be more than one drawing option available at a time. Prizes offered will change from time to time, so be sure to check back often to see what's available.

10/17/2017 02:53 - Gladys P.

I love the game Pokeno. I just learned of Pokeno about 6 mos.ago. I pray tht this is my blessing I've been praying for. Blessings to everyone...

10/17/2017 12:18 - Myrtle L.

Oh boy now i anit won nothing on your other game's. Still wishful then you all going to come out with something even harder to win at maybe i don't no not a big on keno

10/17/2017 12:10 - Nathan W.

Awesome

10/16/2017 09:44 - Tony T.

how soon are the prizes remaining on the scratch offs updated after they are claimed, as a rule ?NC Lottery
Overnight. So is a prizes is claimed on Monday, then the prize remaining is up-to-date as of the beginning of the day on Tuesday. And etc.

10/16/2017 09:33 - michael e.

Well I won't be playing this game sounds fishy .

10/16/2017 06:45 - LEVIS V.

There was a 2 million winner on the Power Ball drawing on October 11, 2017. Where was the ticket sold?NC Lottery
The lucky ticket that won $2 million in the Oct. 11 Powerball drawing was sold at J&K C Store on Concord Mills Blvd. in Concord, N.C.

10/16/2017 06:40 - sreylin k.

i wish myself good luck

10/16/2017 06:26 - Gregory H.

Back in the 1970's, we used to play "POKENO". This should be fun too.

10/16/2017 06:20 - Bob V.

Will Keno be available for subscription? NC Lottery
No. Carolina Keno will not be part of the subscription program.

10/16/2017 06:12 - William D.

I have played this game when I was doing a lot of traveling, So I am ready to play. Now will this locator give the actual address that will show up on a GPS?

10/16/2017 06:00 - Reggie G.

My Aunty told me she used to play this in Germany!!! I am excited, more chances to win!!!

10/16/2017 05:47 - Debbie T.

I hope my luck changes with this game.. Looking for nice win. Good luck all

10/16/2017 03:14 - Anthony D.

I'll be ready when he gets here and good luck to you all

10/16/2017 12:24 - Denver G.

LZ said,Hope you find a place near you where you feel comfortable playing. We'll have a locator for you on the website when the game launches. **** LZ, thanx for keeping us updated. I hope the keno locator will be better then the zipcode store locater for NCEL retailers. That one only shows the merchants that are in your EXACT zipcode, it does not show places nearby. It should have a drop down tab where you can put with in 10,25, 50, miles and so on.NC Lottery
Thanks, Turbo. We will share your suggestion with the folks involved.

10/16/2017 12:07 - Herman S.

Hello LZ, can you share a link/url with the 680 establishment name and county/city they are located in? Thanks in advance. NC Lottery
Hey, Scorpionking. When the game launches, the website will have a locator function for you.

10/16/2017 11:55 - Carolyn L.

Sounds like a winner

10/16/2017 10:57 - Denver G.

Will keno be in places like bowling alleys that don't already sell NCEL tickets? Or will it only be in a place that is an established lottery retailer???NC Lottery
Good morning, Turbo. It will be in new locations as well as some traditional retailers who have a social setting. We do have some bowling alleys who have signed up, fraternal organizations, coffee shops, etc.

10/16/2017 10:30 - John D.

I have been waiting for this,I have played up in MichiganNC Lottery
Glad you won't have to wait too much longer. Thanks for the interest.

10/16/2017 10:29 - patrina m.

Can you show me a pictureNC Lottery
Some visuals on our website. Check it out. http://www.nc-educationlottery.org/keno.aspx

10/16/2017 10:21 - Corey G.

OMG I CAN'T WAIT

10/16/2017 10:20 - Gary C.

I would like to try this out, but not sitting in a bar or restaurant. Maybe the sweepstakes parlors will be back. NC Lottery
Good morning, Beachman. Carolina Keno will be in some traditional retail locations that have social settings where food and coffee are served. It will also be at coffee houses, bowling alleys and fraternal organizations. Hope you find a place near you where you feel comfortable playing. We'll have a locator for you on the website when the game launches.

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Carolina Keno begins Sunday, Oct 29

October 16, 2017 Posted by NC Lottery at 9:56 AM