On This Page
Introduction
Note: The page addresses the conventional keno game, known as Spot Keno, where the player picks 1 to 20 numbers from 1 to 80 and the game draws 20 balls. There are links to keno variants towards the bottom of the page.
Keno is a simple game of luck, much like most lottery games, where the player chooses numbers and hope as many as possible match those randomly drawn by a hopper or machine. The simple form with no multipliers or extra balls is called Spot Keno and is addressed on this page. See the Internal Links section below for many keno variants.
There are two formats for playing keno: live and video. In live keno, the player uses a crayon and paper to indicate his picks. Every few minutes numbers will be a live draw from a hopper filled with numbered balls. In video keno, the player touches a screen, sometimes using a wand, to pick numbers and the machine does the draw randomly.
10 lucky KENO numbers. Pick 10 numbers from 1 to 80. Total Possible Combinations: About 1.6 trillion (exactly 1,646,492,110,120) Odds of matching 10 of 10 numbers.
Like most games of pure luck, the odds in keno are pretty poor. Keep reading to learn more about the rules and how much you can expect to lose on the game.
Disclaimer: Information found on this website is believed to be accurate. If you have questions about the winning numbers, contact the Lottery at (781) 848-7755 or visit your nearest Lottery agent or Lottery office for the official winning numbers. Prizes are eligible to be multiplied. EXAMPLE: $1 wager with a winning 4-spot game: BULLS-EYE. Bulls-Eye, the new KENO! Add-on game, offers larger prizes and more chances to win! At the end of each KENO. One of the best general strategies used by online keno players is to avoid playing the maximum number of spots, particularly in games where you have the option of playing ten or more spots. The odds of matching all ten of your numbers are about one in 8.9 million, so even large keno jackpots really aren’t worthwhile at that point.
Rules
Following are the rules for basic keno:
- The player makes a wager and indicates which numbers he wishes to pick. The picks are made on a slip of paper in live keno and by touching the screen in video keno. The range of numbers the player may pick from is 1 to 80.
- The number of picks the player may make depends on the game itself. Usually the range is 2 to 10 or 1 to 15.
- The game will randomly choose 20 out of 80 balls.
- If the game chooses a number the player chose that is known as a 'catch.' The player is paid according to the number of balls he catchs.
Examples
Following are some common video keno pay tables found mostly on Game Maker machines. The bottom row shows the expected return.
Pay Table 1
| Catch | Pick 2 | Pick 3 | Pick 4 | Pick 5 | Pick 6 | Pick 7 | Pick 8 | Pick 9 | Pick 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | 40 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 5 | 400 | 49 | 22 | 10 | 5 | 5 | |||
| 6 | 1,000 | 275 | 40 | 40 | 25 | ||||
| 7 | 2,500 | 500 | 400 | 120 | |||||
| 8 | 5,000 | 1,000 | 500 | ||||||
| 9 | 5,000 | 2,000 | |||||||
| 10 | 10,000 | ||||||||
| Return | 86.08% | 84.66% | 85.97% | 85.79% | 84.96% | 85.33% | 84.57% | 84.25% | 86.43% |
Pay Table 2
| Catch | Pick 2 | Pick 3 | Pick 4 | Pick 5 | Pick 6 | Pick 7 | Pick 8 | Pick 9 | Pick 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 40 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | 100 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 5 | 800 | 92 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 3 | |||
| 6 | 1500 | 348 | 112 | 47 | 28 | ||||
| 7 | 7760 | 1500 | 352 | 140 | |||||
| 8 | 8000 | 4700 | 1000 | ||||||
| 9 | 9000 | 4800 | |||||||
| 10 | 10000 | ||||||||
| Return | 84.18% | 83.25% | 86.14% | 85.31% | 85.21% | 85.31% | 84.17% | 84.87% | 86.72% |
| Hit frequency | 6.01% | 15.26% | 25.89% | 9.67% | 16.16% | 23.66% | 10.23% | 15.31% | 6.47% |
Pay Table 3
| Catch | Pick 1 | Pick 2 | Pick 3 | Pick 4 | Pick 5 | Pick 6 | Pick 7 | Pick 8 | Pick 9 | Pick 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | 15 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3 | 43 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | ||
| 4 | 77 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | |||
| 5 | 750 | 55 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 5 | ||||
| 6 | 1,600 | 335 | 98 | 40 | 21 | |||||
| 7 | 7,000 | 1,450 | 300 | 142 | ||||||
| 8 | 10,000 | 4,700 | 1,000 | |||||||
| 9 | 9,000 | 4,000 | ||||||||
| 10 | 10,000 | |||||||||
| Return | 75.00% | 90.19% | 87.41% | 87.74% | 88.06% | 88.02% | 87.68% | 89.07% | 87.57% | 88.80% |
Pay Table 4
| Catch | Pick 2 | Pick 3 | Pick 4 | Pick 5 | Pick 6 | Pick 7 | Pick 8 | Pick 9 | Pick 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 45 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | 85 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 5 | 804 | 68 | 20 | 12 | 6 | 5 | |||
| 6 | 1,500 | 390 | 98 | 44 | 23 | ||||
| 7 | 7,000 | 1,550 | 300 | 132 | |||||
| 8 | 10,000 | 4,700 | 1,000 | ||||||
| 9 | 10,000 | 4,500 | |||||||
| 10 | 10,000 | ||||||||
| Return | 84.18% | 90.19% | 90.19% | 90.33% | 90.76% | 90.85% | 90.67% | 89.93% | 89.79% |
Pay Table 5
| Catch | Pick 1 | Pick 2 | Pick 3 | Pick 4 | Pick 5 | Pick 6 | Pick 7 | Pick 8 | Pick 9 | Pick 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | 15 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3 | 46 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | ||
| 4 | 91 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | |||
| 5 | 810 | 70 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 5 | ||||
| 6 | 1,600 | 400 | 98 | 44 | 24 | |||||
| 7 | 7,000 | 1,652 | 335 | 142 | ||||||
| 8 | 10,000 | 4,700 | 1,000 | |||||||
| 9 | 10,000 | 4,500 | ||||||||
| 10 | 10,000 | |||||||||
| Return | 75.00% | 90.19% | 91.58% | 92.03% | 91.93% | 92.67% | 92.44% | 92.31% | 92.00% | 92.55% |
Pay Table 6
| Catch | Pick 2 | Pick 3 | Pick 4 | Pick 5 | Pick 6 | Pick 7 | Pick 8 | Pick 9 | Pick 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 37 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | 64 | 28 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 5 | 170 | 62 | 33 | 30 | 8 | 2 | |||
| 6 | 300 | 175 | 70 | 65 | 36 | ||||
| 7 | 325 | 250 | 178 | 115 | |||||
| 8 | 350 | 325 | 225 | ||||||
| 9 | 375 | 300 | |||||||
| 10 | 400 | ||||||||
| Return | 90.19% | 92.96% | 92.77% | 92.72% | 92.66% | 92.64% | 92.62% | 92.66% | 92.69% |
Pay Table 7
| Catch | Pick 1 | Pick 2 | Pick 3 | Pick 4 | Pick 5 | Pick 6 | Pick 7 | Pick 8 | Pick 9 | Pick 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | 15 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3 | 48 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | ||
| 4 | 100 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | |||
| 5 | 838 | 75 | 22 | 13 | 6 | 5 | ||||
| 6 | 1,660 | 422 | 100 | 44 | 24 | |||||
| 7 | 7,000 | 1,670 | 362 | 146 | ||||||
| 8 | 10,000 | 4,700 | 1,000 | |||||||
| 9 | 10,000 | 4,500 | ||||||||
| 10 | 10,000 | |||||||||
| Return | 75.00% | 90.19% | 94.35% | 94.78% | 94.95% | 94.99% | 94.92% | 94.90% | 93.60% | 93.20% |
The following Pay Table 8 I saw on a 25¢ Aristocrat video poker game at Binion's Las Vegas on October 13, 2019.
Pay Table 8
| Catch | Pick 2 | Pick 3 | Pick 4 | Pick 5 | Pick 6 | Pick 7 | Pick 8 | Pick 9 | Pick 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | 15 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | 45 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | |
| 4 | 85 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | ||
| 5 | 804 | 68 | 20 | 12 | 6 | 5 | |||
| 6 | 1,500 | 390 | 98 | 44 | 23 | ||||
| 7 | 7,000 | 1,550 | 300 | 135 | |||||
| 8 | 10,000 | 4,800 | 1,000 | ||||||
| 9 | 10,000 | 4,500 | |||||||
| 10 | 10,000 | ||||||||
| Return | 90.19% | 90.19% | 90.19% | 90.33% | 90.76% | 90.85% | 90.67% | 90.26% | 90.28% |
Surveys
In 2001 I did a survey of every live keno casino game in Las Vegas. The returns ranged from 65% to 80%. In other words, the house edge was 20% to 35%, making live keno among the worst bets you can make in Las Vegas.
In 2012 I did a similar survey of live keno in Laughlin, which showed a range of return of 50% to 74%.
In 2008 I did a survey of video keno in San Diego. The returns ranged from 84% to 95%.
In 2017 I redid my Las Vegas video keno survey, which can be found at Wizard of Vegas.
Advice
If you must play keno, the only skill is choosing where to play to play and then how many numbers to choose. It makes no difference which numbers you choose. Contrary to popular myth, legitimate keno games, like those in Las Vegas, are fair and every ball has a 1 in 80 chance of being drawn each game. To determine the odds of any keno game you can use my keno calculator. Just put in the pay table and you will see how much you can expect to get back every bet.
However, I tend to think anybody who would take the trouble to analyze the game is probably not playing it in the first place. The odds in video keno are about as bad as slot machines. If you want to lose a lot less money gambling I would highly recommend converting to video poker. For live keno players, I would suggest converting to bingo.
Practice Game
Get your keno fix right here on my practice game.
Calculators
We have calculators to determine the payback for any pay table for the following keno games:
- Keno.
- Power Keno/Super Keno.
- Cleopatra Keno.
- Caveman Keno.
- Caveman Keno Plus.
- Triple Power Keno.
- Extra Draw.
Scouting Guide
When you're in the casino it would take a long time to put in every pay table through my many calculators above to determine the best game to play. That is why I created two printer-friendly guides you can print out and take with you:
- My Keno Scouting Guide is a short reference to the best available game for any pay table for all the most popular forms of keno. Each game has a table showing the possible pick-10 pay tables available and the best number of picks for that game and its return. See the last page of the guide for a full explanation how to use it.
- My Full Pay Table Report is a longer guide showing every known pay table for all the major keno games and their associated return. For those who want to know the return for any number of picks, not just the best number (which the Keno Scouting Guide provides).
For a printer-friendly document showing keno pay tables and returns for several major keno games please see my Keno Scouting Guide (PDF). Perfect for printing and taking to the casino to find the best game and pay table available.
Popular Keno Variants
- Caveman Keno.
- Triple Trouble Keno.
- Power Keno.
- Super Keno.
- Extra Draw Keno (three extra balls).
- Ultimate X Keno.
- Book of Keno.
- Alien Attack Keno.
Internal Links
- Las Vegas Hilton keno games.
- Atlantic City Tropicana keno.
- Jumbo Keno Progressive/Mega 10 — Progressive keno games found at Station Casinos of Las Vegas.
- Progressive keno games at the Boyd and Station casinos.
- Nevada numbers — a progressive lottery game.
- High/Low/Middle Keno — keno game seen at the Lisboa in Macau.
- Extra Draw Keno (two extra balls).
- Jumbo Keno Progressive — kenogame at the Station Casinos.
- Laughlin keno survey.
- Keno sums — Math behind the sum of all 20 balls drawn
Keno games by U1 Gaming
Following are keno games by U1 Gaming.
External Links
- German translation of this keno page.
Written by:Michael Shackleford
12
| 12 Spot Game | ||
|---|---|---|
| Probability of winning a prize in this game = 1:15.73 | ||
| Match | Odds | Win |
| 12 | 1:478,261,833.14 | $1,000,000* |
| 11 | 1:5,978,272.91 | $25,000 |
| 10 | 1:184,230.29 | $2,500 |
| 9 | 1:10,482.07 | $1,000 |
| 8 | 1:980.78 | $150 |
| 7 | 1:142.30 | $25 |
| 6 | 1:31.05 | $5 |
| 0 | 1:43.05 | $4 |
11
| 11 Spot Game | ||
|---|---|---|
| Probability of winning a prize in this game = 1:7.63 | ||
| Match | Odds | Win |
| 11 | 1:62,381,978.24 | $500,000** |
| 10 | 1:945,181.49 | $15,000 |
| 9 | 1:35,244.06 | $1,500 |
| 8 | 1:2,430.62 | $250 |
| 7 | 1:277.18 | $50 |
| 6 | 1:49.50 | $10 |
| 5 | 1:13.50 | $1 |
| 0 | 1:30.57 | $2 |
10
| 10 Spot Game | ||
|---|---|---|
| Probability of winning a prize in this game = 1:9.05 | ||
| Match | Odds | Win |
| 10 | 1:8,911,711.18 | $100,000*** |
| 9 | 1:163,381.37 | $10,000 |
| 8 | 1:7,384.47 | $500 |
| 7 | 1:620.68 | $80 |
| 6 | 1:87.11 | $20 |
| 5 | 1:19.44 | $2 |
| 0 | 1:21.84 | $2 |
9
| 9 Spot Game | ||
|---|---|---|
| Probability of winning a prize in this game = 1:6.53 | ||
| Match | Odds | Win |
| 9 | 1:1,380,687.65 | $40,000 |
| 8 | 1:30,681.95 | $4,000 |
| 7 | 1:1,690.11 | $200 |
| 6 | 1:174.84 | $25 |
| 5 | 1:30.67 | $5 |
| 4 | 1:8.76 | $1 |
8
| 8 Spot Game | ||
|---|---|---|
| Probability of winning a prize in this game = 1:9.77 | ||
| Match | Odds | Win |
| 8 | 1:230,114.61 | $15,000 |
| 7 | 1:6,232.27 | $1,000 |
| 6 | 1:422.53 | $50 |
| 5 | 1:54.64 | $10 |
| 4 | 1:12.27 | $2 |
7
| 7 Spot Game | ||
|---|---|---|
| Probability of winning a prize in this game = 1:4.23 | ||
| Match | Odds | Win |
| 7 | 1:40,979.31 | $5,000 |
| 6 | 1:1,365.98 | $100 |
| 5 | 1:115.76 | $20 |
| 4 | 1:19.16 | $3 |
| 3 | 1:5.71 | $1 |
6
| 6 Spot Game | ||
|---|---|---|
| Probability of winning a prize in this game = 1:6.19 | ||
| Match | Odds | Win |
| 6 | 1:7,752.84 | $1,600 |
| 5 | 1:323.04 | $50 |
| 4 | 1:35.04 | $7 |
| 3 | 1:7.70 | $1 |
General Kenobi Gif
5
| 5 Spot Game | ||
|---|---|---|
| Probability of winning a prize in this game = 1:10.34 | ||
| Match | Odds | Win |
| 5 | 1:1,550.57 | $450 |
| 4 | 1:82.70 | $20 |
| 3 | 1:11.91 | $2 |
4
| 4 Spot Game | ||
|---|---|---|
| Probability of winning a prize in this game = 1:3.86 | ||
| Match | Odds | Win |
| 4 | 1:326.44 | $100 |
| 3 | 1:23.12 | $4 |
| 2 | 1:4.70 | $1 |
3
| 3 Spot Game | ||
|---|---|---|
| Probability of winning a prize in this game = 1:6.55 | ||
| Match | Odds | Win |
| 3 | 1:72.07 | $25 |
| 2 | 1:7.21 | $2.50 |
2
| 2 Spot Game | ||
|---|---|---|
| Probability of winning a prize in this game = 1:2.27 | ||
| Match | Odds | Win |
| 2 | 1:16.63 | $5 |
| 1 | 1:2.63 | $1 |
1
| 1 Spot Game | ||
|---|---|---|
| Probability of winning a prize in this game = 1:4.00 | ||
| Match | Odds | Win |
| 1 | 1:4.00 | $2.50 |
How to Play
- Choose how many numbers (spots) you want to play by marking in the appropriate box.
- Select the amount of money you want to wager per game ($1, $2, $5, $10 or $20) by marking in one of the Amount Bet boxes.
- You can play up to 30 consecutive games by marking the appropriate box under Number of Games Played.
- Pick the numbers you wish to play from a field of 80 by marking in each of the boxes, keeping in mind the number of spots chosen above. IMPORTANT: KEEP MARKS INSIDE BOXES. Use only PENCIL OR BLUE BALL-POINT PEN to mark the betting slip. You may also let the Lottery computer choose your numbers by marking in the Quic Pic (QP) box.
- Mark the “Y” box if you wish to play KENO BONUS. If you play KENO BONUS the total wager amount will double.****
- Give the completed betting slip to an ON-LINE Lottery Sales Agent.
- The Sales Agent will give you a separate ticket as your receipt. IMPORTANT: CHECK YOUR TICKET! BE SURE THAT IT REPRESENTS THE NUMBERS AND DRAWING(S) THAT YOU WANTED TO PLAY AS IT IS YOUR ONLY PROOF OF PLAYING THESE NUMBERS.
- The Lottery suggests for your own protection that you sign the back of your ticket to identify ownership.
KENO BONUS
KENO BONUS gives you a chance to increase your KENO winnings by 3, 4, 5 or 10 times. To play KENO BONUS, mark the “Y” box on your bet slip. The cost of your wager will double. If you purchase the additional BONUS play for a drawing and win, you may multiply your winnings if a multiplier number (3, 4, 5 or 10) is drawn. The overall odds of having a multiplier number (3, 4, 5 or 10) are 1:2.3.
| Multiplier | Odds | Example Winning Amount if KENO BONUS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not Played | Played | ||
| No Bonus | 1:1.75 | $5 | $5 |
| 3x | 1:3 | $5 | $15 |
| 4x | 1:15 | $5 | $20 |
| 5x | 1:40 | $5 | $25 |
| 10x | 1:234 | $5 | $50 |
General Keno Meaning
KENO BONUS is not available for the 10-spot, 11-spot, or 12-spot KENO games. A KENO BONUS wager is only valid when played in conjunction with a valid KENO wager.
Rules
- Bets are not effective until accepted by the Lottery’s on-line computer processing system prior to the drawing of the winning number and in accordance with Lottery rules. Bettors acknowledge that on-line Lottery sales agents are acting on behalf of the bettors in entering bets into the Lottery’s on-line KENO computer processing system.
- Present your completed bet slip to your Lottery Sales agent for processing. You will receive a ticket. CHECK YOUR TICKET IMMEDIATELY TO VERIFY THAT THE SELECTIONS ON YOUR TICKET MATCH THE SELECTIONS REQUESTED ON THE BET SLIP.
- Present winning ticket to any on-line KENO sales agent for payment of prizes up to and including $600. Claims for more than $600 will be paid by the Lottery Commission after claim form is filed. Under unusual conditions, fixed prizes may be reduced according to the rules and regulations. All cash prizes must be claimed within one (1) year following the draw date.
- Your ticket is a bearer instrument. Unless signed by owner, prize may be claimed by anyone in possession of winning ticket. SIGN YOUR TICKET IMMEDIATELY. Bettors agree to abide by Lottery Commission rules and regulations. Applicable rules are available for inspection by bettors by contacting the Lottery Commission at. 150 Mount Vernon St. Dorchester MA 02125
General Kenobi Memes
- *
- Maximum overall prize payout for matching 12 out of 12 is $2,000,000 for any single game. If there are more than two ($2) dollars bet on the winning numbers, the payoff for each one ($1) dollar bet equals two million ($2,000,000) dollars divided by the number of dollars wagered.
- **
- Maximum overall prize payout for matching 11 out of 11 is $2,000,000 for any single game. If there are more than four ($4) dollars bet on the winning numbers, the payoff for each one ($1) dollar bet equals two million ($2,000,000) dollars divided by the number of dollars wagered.
- ***
- Maximum overall prize payout for matching 10 out of 10 is $2,000,000 for any single game. If there are more than twenty ($20) dollars bet on the winning numbers, the payoff for each one ($1) dollar bet equals two million ($2,000,000) dollars divided by number of dollars wagered.
- ****
- KENO BONUS gives you a chance to increase your KENO winnings by 3, 4, 5 or 10 times. To play KENO BONUS, mark the “Y” box on your bet slip. The cost of your wager will double. If you purchase the additional BONUS play for a drawing and win, you may multiply your winnings if a multiplier number (3, 4, 5 or 10) is drawn. The overall odds of having a multiplier number (3, 4, 5 or 10) are 1:2.3. KENO BONUS is not available for the 10-spot, 11-spot, or 12-spot KENO games. A KENO BONUS wager is only valid when played in conjunction with a valid KENO wager.