How to play keno
Pick some numbers (spots) from 1 to 80, place a bet, and the game draws 20 numbers. You are paid by the game's pay table for how many of your spots are drawn. Picking 10 spots, you catch 5 about 1 in 19.44 games and all 10 only 1 in 8,911,711.
Checked 2026-11-07. Source: odds worked out below.
Keno rules, step by step
- Pick your spots. Mark between 1 and the maximum your game allows (it varies by game) numbers from 1 to 80, or ask for a quick pick.
- Choose the stake and draws. Pick a bet per draw and how many consecutive draws to play.
- The draw. 20 numbers are drawn at random from the 80.
- Count your catches. Each of your spots that is drawn is a catch. The pay table for your number of spots says what each catch count pays per $1.
How keno payouts work
Every game publishes a pay table: for each number of spots, what each count of catches pays per $1 bet. A 4-spot ticket might pay for 2, 3 or 4 catches and nothing for 0 or 1. Your prize is that amount times your stake per draw.
Pay tables differ between casinos and lotteries, so the same ticket can return very different amounts in different places. Copy your game's table into the calculator below to see its real return.
Try it: odds and return for your pay table
19+ in most of Canada (18+ in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec), 21+ in most US states. A calculator shows what a bet pays, not how likely it is to win. Free help: 1-800-GAMBLER (US), ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600 (Ontario), 211 (Alberta). More help.
Keno odds by number of spots
| Spots | Catch all | Catch half or more |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 in 4.00 | 25.0% |
| 2 | 1 in 16.63 | 44.0% |
| 4 | 1 in 326 | 25.9% |
| 6 | 1 in 7,753 | 16.2% |
| 8 | 1 in 230,115 | 10.2% |
| 10 | 1 in 8,911,711 | 6.5% |
From 20 numbers drawn out of 80: C(n, k) × C(80 − n, 20 − k) ÷ C(80, 20). Every catch count for 1 to 20 spots is on the keno odds calculator page.
Questions
How do you play keno?
Pick between 1 and as many numbers as the game allows (spots) from 1 to 80, choose your stake and the number of draws. The game draws 20 numbers; you win according to its pay table for how many of your spots match.
How many numbers should you pick in keno?
There is no best count: fewer spots win more often but pay less, more spots pay big prizes that rarely land. Catching all 10 of 10 happens 1 in 8,911,711 games; a 1-spot wins 1 time in 4.
What are the odds in keno?
They follow from 20 numbers drawn out of 80. With 10 spots, catching 5 happens 1 in 19.44 games and catching none 1 in 21.84. The keno odds calculator shows every count for 1 to 20 spots.
Is keno a good bet?
Usually one of the worst in the casino: the return depends on the pay table, and keno tables tend to keep far more than table games. Enter your game's pay table in the calculator above to see its house edge.