Lucky Numbers

The Ohio Lottery may not have hit an instant win when Keno arrived in bars, bowling alleys and fraternal organizations on Aug. 4, but officials still see the new game as just the ticket to help close the state’s budget gap. Nearly 1,000 retailers offered Keno its first month and more than 300 are in the permit process. “Our goal is to have 2,000 by the end of the calendar year,” says Marie Kilbane, the Ohio Lottery’s public information officer. “Keno has been incredibly successful in other states [Ohio is the 13th state to offer the game], so we are optimistic about its success here.”

 

$7.2 million:
Revenue Keno generated in its first month. Although that’s below what was anticipated to meet the initial projection of $292 million in annual sales, Kilbane expects the game to pick up during the fall and winter.

$4.6 million:
Amount of prizes awarded in Keno during the first month