A flaw in the online Fuzzball Keno game allows players to beat the Michigan Lottery for an average of around after making a 0 deposit, WZZM 13, the Grand Rapids ABC television station, recently reported after it was revealed on the DoctorofCredit.com website.
Fuzzball Keno was billed as the “best odds of any online game” when it made its debut on the Michigan online lottery website. The game offers an extremely low play-through amount, according to experienced online casino or poker players. The way it works is the Michigan Lottery offers a 50 percent match bonus on a player’s first deposit up to $100. To “clear” the bonus and be eligible to cash out any winnings, the player must wager the deposit and bonus amount dollar-for-dollar.
For example, with a $200 deposit, the lottery will give the player $100 free. Then the player must wager $300 before withdrawing any remaining account balance. As a result, online lottery customers would wager $300 on single-number Fuzzball Keno, bet $1 per game and play 300 games, and only lose around $40 of the bonus money. They then withdraw their original $200 plus the extra $60 or so in profit.
If the single number a player selects hits, the player doubles his or her bet. But if a player’s number doesn’t hit, half of their bet—$150-—is returned. With the bonus, only $50 of that is the player’s own money. The DoctorofCredit.com researchers found the average profit after meeting the $300 wagering requirement was $62. In addition, the chance of profiting is more than 99 percent when wagering $1 per game. The odds go up to 100 percent when wagering 10 cents per game.
Calvin College statistics Professor Thomas Scofield verified the DoctorofCredit.com numbers and said those odds are correct. “The author has rightly calculated that the expected profit for the various strategies the rows represent is $62.50,” Scofield said.
Michigan Lottery Director of Public Relations Jeff Holyfield said, “It is inaccurate to say that playing Fuzzball Keno or any lottery game in a certain manner guarantees gains for players. Like all lottery games, Fuzzball Keno is a game of chance and as with all games of chance, anything is possible. As the blog notes and as we constantly remind players, Lottery games are not designed to serve as investments or provide income. They’re games of chance designed to provide fun and entertainment.”
It’s not known if the Michigan Lottery has reconfigured the play-through requirements for Fuzzy Keno bonus dollars.
