The Ohio Lottery was first introduced to Keno about a month ago. Keno was the state’s first electronic gambling option and it seems to be fairing better in some areas more than others. Officials have found that the northern part of Ohio has seen more bets placed than the other regions.

Officials have stated that it is too early yet to determine if the projected earnings will be met but returns from the end of August show that three of the four top sellers come from northern Ohio counties. These counties are: Cuyahoga, Lucas and Lorain. Interestingly enough, one of the largest counties in Ohio, Montgomery, is only number seven in Keno betting.

It was on August 4th that Keno went live in Ohio and the state became the 12th state to approve Keno. Officials projected that the game would earn sales of $293 million and create a $73 million payoff for the state. During the first month of the game the state sold $7.2 million and paid out $4.6 million.

"Four weeks out, we are cautiously optimistic about Keno sales," says Ohio Lottery spokeswoman Marie Kilbane. "We expect sales to pick up as we bring on more retailers and as we enter the fall and winter sales season, which is typically our strongest."

Businesses who would like to add Keno to their establishment and are approved stand to earn 6.2 of their terminal sales, plus bonuses. Many have signed on but just as many do not want the added strain of paperwork and demands on their employees. Several business owners have stated it is not worth the extra trouble.

It will be interesting to see if the numbers stay the same in northern Ohio or if the larger counties begin to show bigger numbers in the future.



- 2008-09-10