Apparently in the Dominican Republic it was called superkeno and was a problem 3 years ago there and other Carribean Islands. It was also known as Carribean Keno, Bonus Bingo, and Super Rainbow Jackpot.
I copied the description of the game from the superkenoscam website below.
http://www.superkenoscam.com/theGame.htm
I also copied the article on what to do if you are a victim. Unfortunately the information is a bit dated and specific to the DR but victims might find some useful information. I'll see how my friend fared contacting his credit card company. Somebody should go
"SHAMAS" on their ass.
Quote:
How is Super Keno played?
The game consists of 305 balls of the size of a ping pong ball with non-sequential numbers between 11 and 149 on them contained on a transparent plastic-like box like the one you would see on the loto. The balls are barely popping inside the box.
For example, there is 15 balls with the number 141. If you draw one of this ball it causes the jack pot and your next bet to double. This means that if the jackpot was $200.00 its now $400.00 and if your bet was $5.00 it is from now on $10.00 if your want to continue playing.
The idea is that with each bet you “buy†a ball. Each ball has a black stripe in which there is a small white number. Located somewhere on the table is a chart in which every number that is painted on the ball is listed with it meaning in the game.
The goal of the game is to accumulate and reach 100 points and then you win the jackpot. Your reach 100 points by drawing balls with points until you reach 100 or if you draw the balls 36, 117, 125 or 126 (there is only one of each among the 305 balls.
Along the game you may also win small prizes between $5.00 and $25.00 and if you get four of the kind of the blue, silver or gold you may also win a cash prize.
When you first arrive at the table you are asked to place a bet which usually is between a $5.00 or a $10.00. Initially the dealer will place the house bet or jack pot equivalent to 40 times your bet. If you bet $5.00 the casino will place $200.00 as the initial jackpot.
Once you have placed your bet you are allow to withdraw one of the ball from its container using a stick with a small basket at the end, big enough to fit one ball. The dealer will quickly take the ball and announce the number, its meaning, execute its meaning, all this while he places the ball back in the container. Things happen so fast that you are not able to see what has just happened just to see the result of it on the table and only because the dealer tells you.
Once the ball is drawn it is quickly returned to the container without giving you the opportunity to verify the number.
As the game progresses the jackpot will continue to grow as well as the minimum bet. The game proceeds rather quickly and you will find yourself within striking distance of the jackpot. Most people we have spoken with tell us that they reach the 90 point range very quickly.
Once you have run out of cash you will be “invited†to use your credit card (Visa or Master Card only). After all, the dealer, in a most assuring tone, will assure you that you are only minutes away to win the jackpot. Once you have given your credit card the game goes into “automatic modeâ€, as it were, as from now on is the dealer who controls your bet.
What is the reality of the game?
Once you have lost all your money or have had the good sense of leaving before it gets worst, most people initially feel that they were the subjects of bad luck and go away to lick their wounds.
But the truth is that you really never had a chance. The game seems to be rigged from the very beginning, from the odds to the way the game is handled by the dealer.
In most cases the victim arrive at the table because they were approached by an attractive young lady that, after asking where you are from, invites you to “test a new gameâ€. To motivate you in this “harmless test†you are offered free chips to try it out. If you accept you will be escorted to the Super Keno table where you will be received by an engllish speaking dealer.
Once the game start the only thing you do is place the bet (while you have cash only), pull the ball and watch the dealer do the rest. He takes the ball, he reads the ball, he tells you what the balls means and he places it back before you had a chance to see what is really in the ball. All this in a matter of 30 seconds or less.
The truth is that you really don’t know if all the balls are in the container, or how many of each number. You never are shown or able to see the number on the ball every time you pull one. You must blindly trust the dealer and the casino that they are "honest". This is a "blind trust" of the worst kind as casinos at the Dominican Republic are not supervised by anyone.
But the main question is, why every person is able to reach the 90’s at lightning speeds and never reach the remaining points to win the jackpot?
While investigating the game I went to one of the casinos that offer it and was able to experience what hundreds of people have experienced. I too reached 76 points within the first 12 balls So it stand to reason, or so it seems, that if I am able to reach 76 points so fast then, why wouldn’t I be able to get the remaining 24 points the same?
It seems that everyone I have spoken with that have fallen victim of the game have "great luck" at the beginning and as soon as they reach 99 points their luck completely runs out.
Why is that so many get to 99 points but never get the last point? Why is so easy to get the fist 99 points but not the last one? Could it be due to the way the ball is handled by the dealer? Or that the balls aren’t all there?
Remember, Casinos are not supervised by anyone in the Dominican Republic. Yet, everyone we have spoken with there acknowledge that it is known that the Super Keno is a scam. Hotel managers acknowledge that they receive many complaints yet they refuse to do anything about it.
What happens when you have reached the limit on your credit card?
Once your credit card is max out your will be asked to settle your debt to the casino. Usually one or two security agents will stand behind you when this happens. Couples will be split while one goes to the managers office the other one will remain at the table.
What just happened is that your liberty, in a foreign country, will be restricted until you pay off.
You will be asked to make phone calls to your credit card and sign credit card checks. Only then you will be “free†to go.
After all this, you will be given the “opportunity†to come the next day and continue your game exactly where you left it.
http://www.superkenoscam.com/content/anmviewer.asp?a=9&z=1Quote:
What to do if Victim of the Scam
wednesday, january 5, 2005 - SKS News The most frequent asked question is what to do if I suspect I was a victim of the Super Keno scam while vacationing in the Dominican Republic. We receive numerous emails each week asking us what to do and how to do it.
Mainly, they want to know if the can get their money back and how to do it. They want to know if the can do something against the scammers and how to warn other travelers so they won’t fall prey of this depredators.
To help clarify those doubts we have decided to offer you some helpful suggestion.
First, visit our scary tales section and write down your story. That will help others.
If you still at the Dominica Republic these are some of the steps you can take:
It is probable that you are feeling ashamed and scared as you are in a foreign country. But you need to get yourself together and take some steps that may help you later.
First, you need to find as much information about the persons involved in the scam. Names are great. Write down in paper everything you find. Write down times and places and as much details you can from you experience.
Contact the Casino and Hotel management and inform them that you suspect you were victim of a scam and if the have a formal procedure to complaint. Ask their names and the address of the hotel’s parent company. Try to find out who owns the Casino and who operates the game.
Contact the US Embassy in the Dominican Republic and inform them what has happened to you, that you were scammed. You can contact Sarah L. Anches at the American Citizen Service. Her phone number is 809-731-4362 and her fax is 809-689-6142. She is aware of the situation and she is gathering information.
You can call your credit card company and tell them to stop the payment as you were victim of a scam.
If you left the Dominican Republic and back in the US:
You should still contact the U.S. Embassy. Call Sarah L. Anches at the American Citizen Service. Her phone number is 809-731-4362 and her fax is 809-689-6142 as she is aware of the situation and she is gathering information. The mailing address to the U.S. Embassy there is:
Embassy of the United States
C/Leopoldo Navarro
Santo Domingo
Dominican Republic
Call your Credit card company and ask them if they are aware of any scam involving casino games in the Dominican Republic. Make sure to write down the name of any person you speak with and what they told you. Once you gather that information, report the situation to them and inform them that you are objecting the charge in the grounds that you were victim of a scam and as a result of that they obtained your signature illegally. You should do this in writing and mail it certified and with delivery receipt.
To be honest with you, so far most credit card companies are refusing to do something about it. We need to change that. And it may take a legal suit to do it. In the meantime we have to make them know what is going on so they have no excuse. They are allowing this people the use of the credit card knowingly that there is a scam with the game. They should be warning their cardholders of that risk and they are not.
The U.S. State Department should issue a travel advisory warning U.S. Citizens traveling to the Dominican Republic about the risk of being scammed in the Casino. The reality is that Casinos in the Dominican Republic are not inspected or supervised by anyone like they are in the U.S. and as such they are a high risk. If you play there you are blindly trusting that the game operators are honest and will not scam you. Unfortunately, the U.S. State Department is ding nothing and we have to make sure they do something.
You must let them know, so contact the OVERSEAS CITIZENS SERVICES at the U.S. State Department: 1-888-407-4747. I you are overseas still, this is the number: 317-472-2328.
If you have the resources you should file a law suit in the Dominican Republic, but I warn you, it will be expensive. Actually, there is three law suits there related to the Super Keno Scam.
Let your travel agency know too. They may warn other travelers.
You should contact us and let us know what happened to you. That way if we hear of any legal action going on in the U.S. we will forward your information to the lawyers. You can cotact us at
info@superkenoscam.com 
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