Some fun with keno

Keno does not have the same high-stakes, high-roller associations as casino games like Baccarat, but it does offer players a chance to enjoy a casino atmosphere without risking the farm; some casinos even give active Keno players complimentary drinks.

That doesn't mean that there haven't been illustrious persons who profit from the occasional Keno race.

The late John Phillips, a member of The Mommas and The Poppas, wrote an autobiography in which he describes going for broke and betting it all. A fan once saw him playing Keno in an Indian Casino in Palm Springs.

Legendary Las Vegas newspaperman Roy Vanett was so enamored of Keno that when he died in 2001, his brother said "I don't think the game will survive without him." Four years later, Keno is still going strong. Nonetheless, Vanett was widely admired for his professionalism and devotion to news reporting; many were the editors who wanted him for their papers, but his refusal to depart Las Vegas was in large part fueled by his love for the game of Keno.