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May 3, 2009 - Sure, the casino game of keno is not the most odds-friendly game out there. But that's kind of the point. And no, I don't mean it's some conspiracy by the casino to rip players off - although you could argue that's what all gambling is at its root core. So, yes, a lot of people go home with less money than they started. But lots of people go home with more. Just not as much as the others. And if keno had better odds, well then, it wouldn't dish out the huge jackpots it is capable of.

So, where am I going with all this? Well, I recently came across an article in the....in the.....oh crap - where was that again?...wait for it...wait for it....wait for it...OK, it's not coming. It was an article I read somewhere online - there, you happy? Anyways, it was about a little town in Massachusetts that is going to take on the State Lottery Commission there.

Yes indeed, I love stories like this. It's almost as good as that small but growing congregation that refuses to vacate a Catholic church closed by the Diocese (also in Massachusetts). Little 'ol Cohasset, Massachusetts is the town where the Lottery Commission has granted a Keno license to a local restaurant called DeNero's. No, it's not Robert's - or should I say "Bobby's" restaurant. I don't think they even spell their name the same.

Anyways, the locals who live in the vicinity of DeNero's, including several homes that actually overlook the restaurant, say that DeNero's is already handles more than enough business and traffic - and that offering Keno will only cause to bring in more traffic, parking problems and noise. Although nobody directly (at least on record) said anything about the evils of gambling, one resident said they thought bring keno to DeNero's wouldn't "enhance the public interest of the neighborhood", while another said they "care about the neighborhood and the people abutting".

Let me tell you, Keno is sure to bring out the shady characters and gangsters. They just can't wait to leave their illegal poker table in some basement bar to win it big playing keno. The reality is that keno is just going to bring out more elderly people. So, I guess that does exacerbate the whole traffic problem even more. More slow drivers. Hmm. Hey, don't get me wrong - I'm a slow driver. I think we should all be slow drivers. And I love old people - really I do.

That said, you got to love Keno. It's a fun and social game - and there's absolutely no skill involved - okay, maybe a little. So long as DeNero's doesn't start breeding any addicts, things should be alright. And from the looks of it, the State Lottery Commission is probably going to win this one. This won't be the first place in Massachusetts to be granted a keno license.

Originally published: May, 2009 | Categories: Gambling