Despite slow start, Ohio Lottery still betting Keno will catch on

By Jon Moffett

After four months, Keno is struggling to find an audience. The Ohio Lottery game, which debuted Aug. 4, has yet to make as big an impact as originally hoped. Jeannie Roberts, deputy director of communications with the Ohio Lottery, said the game is fine, but it just isn’t selling as anticipated.

“We are not disappointed in the game, but we have yet to see it take off like we thought it would.,” she said.

The original plan was to have at least 2,000 retailers throughout the state offer Keno by the end of the year, Roberts said. She added there are 1,113 licensed Keno agents and an additional 206 involved in the application process. She said it is doubtful the 2,000-retailer goal will be met this year.

Roberts said the struggling economy is partially responsible for the disappointing sales numbers.

“Keno sales are not as high as originally expected, but that is not a surprise considering what the state of the economy is,” Roberts said. “But we have seen sales of the game starting to pick up.”

Marie Kilbane, who also works in the Ohio Lottery’s communication department, said the goal for Keno was to make $292 million in total sales for the state during its first year. That number includes a $73 million profit.

As of Dec. 6, Keno has tallied $35,456,067 in total sales. Region 8, which Youngstown is a part of, has accounted for $3,572,840.

Employees at Shaker’s Bar & Grill on Belmont Avenue have noticed that the newness of Keno is wearing off.

“It kind of went from everybody trying it to the type of game that people just do because they’re sitting around,” said Jennifer Daly, a bartender at the establishment. “The odds in Keno, I personally feel, aren’t the greatest. And after watching the game for hours, you start to notice patterns. People don’t dump a lot of money into it, but they’re willing to try it.

“The payoffs aren’t that good and when people win their money back, they get excited. I’ve seen people win $1,100 or $1,300 on it, so it’s not impossible, it’s just not common.”

Not all area businesses have seen a decline in Keno. Mahoning Valley Lanes sees a steady stream of Keno players daily, said Shannon Nesbitt, the alley’s operations manager.

“When we first got it, everybody wanted to play it,” she said. “The first couple of days were outrageous, but it’s been pretty steady ever since.”

Some people just don’t have any extra money for Keno, especially with the holidays coming up, Roberts said.

“I think it’s a combination of us still educating people on the game and people don’t have as many discretionary dollars as they used to,” Roberts said. “There are, simply put, fewer of those to go around these days.”

In addition to the economy, Roberts said people just aren’t as aware of the game as they thought.

“We have a lot of faith in the game; it’s a great game,” she said. “And we are still educating people on how to play the game.”

Roberts said the Ohio Lottery has begun to produce an advertising campaign to raise awareness of the game. She said the campaign will include television commercials, print ads and radio spots to help promote the game. The advertisements are set to run in mid-January.

“We’re expecting big things from the advertising campaign,” Roberts said. “We really think that it’s going to pick up.”

Despite the lackluster sales numbers, Roberts said the game isn’t flawed. She said once people start to realize the social aspect of Keno, they will start to embrace it and play it more willingly.

“It’s not a solitary game where you buy a ticket and go scratch it or put it in your wallet and wait three or four days for the drawing,” she said. “Within minutes, you know if you’re a winner. It’s a game where you can be sitting around at a restaurant with your family or at a bar having a few drinks with friends, and people get excited for you when you win.”

Another hurdle for Keno is the lack of retailers, Kilbane said. She said once more retailers start to jump on the game, the sales will take off as expected.

Roberts said familiarity will breed finances.

“We’re hoping that when Joe’s bar down the street sees that Jill’s bar is doing well that they’re going to want to do Keno,” she said

When asked if the game is expected to meet the goal for the year, Roberts said she expects the game to rebound, if not meet the goal.

“It’s hard to quantify,” she said. “But we do think that it’s going to help to get the word out there to tell people of what a social game this is and that it’s right down the street from you.”

jmoffett@vindy.com