How To Play

Pick between 1 and 20 numbers (called "spots") from a board of 1-80. The casino draws 20 numbers. Your payout depends on how many of your picks matched, with bigger payouts for hitting more of a larger pick set. Each casino sets its own paytable.

House Edge

Keno has the worst house edge of any common casino game: 25% to 35%, with some video keno paytables as bad as 40%. Even "good" live keno games rarely return more than 75 cents on the dollar. By comparison, blackjack costs you 50 cents per $100 bet; keno costs $25 to $35.

Why Keno Is So Bad

Hitting 9 of 20 picks has true odds around 387,000:1, but the typical payout is closer to 4,700:1. The math is brutal because the casino can hide the edge inside an enormous prize structure.

Basic Strategy

• There is no strategy that meaningfully changes the edge. Number selection does not matter - the draws are random.
• Compare paytables across casinos and machines. A 4-spot game often has the lowest edge in the building (~25%) compared to 8-10 spot games.
• Look for video keno with progressive jackpots; once a jackpot grows past breakeven, the math swings.
• Bet the minimum and play slowly. Keno is best treated as lottery-style entertainment, not gambling.

Common Mistakes

Picking "lucky numbers" thinking they boost odds. Playing 10-spot or higher chasing the jackpot - the edge climbs sharply. Betting per-game amounts that match table game stakes; $5 keno tickets every 5 minutes burns bankrolls faster than blackjack at $25.

Example

You play a 4-spot for $1. Hitting all 4 typically pays $120-$160. True odds are about 326:1. Expected return: roughly $0.72 - meaning you lose 28 cents per dollar on average.

Bottom Line

Keno is a lottery dressed as a casino game. If you enjoy the slow pace and the dream of a big hit, play tiny bets and accept the cost. For real entertainment value per dollar, almost any other game is better. Set a strict budget and treat it as the price of a movie ticket.