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Quick answer: No keno strategy can change which numbers are drawn, because every set of 20 numbers is equally likely. The one choice that changes your results is which game and pay table you play: live casino keno keeps about 20% to 35% of every bet, US lottery keno about 30% to 35%, video keno about 5% to 16%, and crypto keno games such as Stake’s just 1%.
Last checked: 11 October 2026, when we checked each fact against at least two independent sources and worked out every probability on this page ourselves.
How does keno work?
Classic keno uses 80 numbers. You mark the numbers you want (called spots), and the game draws 20 of them at random. You win if enough of your spots are among the 20 drawn, and the pay table for your spot count says how much each number of matches (catches) pays.
- Spots: most lottery and casino games let you pick 1 to 10 numbers. Some casinos and online games allow up to 15 or 20.
- Draws: lottery keno runs all day. The Virginia Lottery, for example, draws every 4 minutes.
- Prizes: set by a pay table for each spot count. Two games with the same rules can pay very differently, which is where your choice matters.
- Crypto keno is different: Stake’s keno uses a board of 40 numbers and draws 10, and you pick 1 to 10 of them. The odds below are for the classic 80-number game.
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Is there a keno strategy that actually works?
Not one that beats the game: the house edge is built into the pay table, and the numbers you pick make no difference to it. As statistician Mark Bollman told Boston’s WGBH, “there is no strategy that will change the chance of winning.” What does work is limiting how much you give away:
- Play the game type with the smallest house edge. The gap is huge: a 99% return game loses you about $1 per $100 bet on average, a 70% return game about $30.
- Compare pay tables for the same spot count. Virginia’s and Pennsylvania’s lottery 10-spot games have the same odds, but Virginia’s pay table returns 69.8% and Pennsylvania’s 64.8% (our calculation from each lottery’s published prizes).
- Pick a spot count for the ride you want, not for better odds. Fewer spots win small prizes more often; 8 to 10 spots win rarely but can pay big. Casino.org notes many players settle on 4 to 8 spots and PokerListings suggests 4 to 6 as a middle ground, but that is about smoothing your results, not beating the edge.
- More cards means more money at risk, not better odds. In multi-card keno each card carries the same house edge, so four cards lose about four times as much on average. Overlapping numbers across cards only makes results swing more.
- Ignore hot and cold numbers. Each draw is independent, so past results tell you nothing about the next one. This is the gambler’s fallacy at work.
- Count the cost per hour. At one $1 ticket every 4 minutes on a 70% return game, you can expect to lose about $4.50 an hour on average (15 games × $1 × 30%). Faster games and bigger bets scale that up.
Keno house edge by game type
The type of keno you play matters far more than the numbers you pick. Here is how much of each bet the game keeps over time:
| Keno type | Typical return to player | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Live casino keno (Las Vegas) | 65% to 80% | About 20% to 35% |
| US lottery keno | About 65% to 70% | About 30% to 35% |
| Video keno machines | About 84% to 95% | About 5% to 16% |
| Crypto keno (Stake) | 99% | 1% |
For comparison, blackjack played with basic strategy has an edge below 1%. See our guide to the casino games with the lowest house edge for the full list.
Keno odds chart: the chance of catching all your numbers
These are the odds of matching every number you pick in a classic 80-ball, 20-draw game. They are the same at every casino and lottery, because they come from the maths of the draw, not the pay table.
| Spots picked | Chance of catching all of them |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 in 4 |
| 2 | 1 in 16.6 |
| 3 | 1 in 72 |
| 4 | 1 in 326 |
| 5 | 1 in 1,551 |
| 6 | 1 in 7,753 |
| 7 | 1 in 40,979 |
| 8 | 1 in 230,115 |
| 9 | 1 in 1,380,688 |
| 10 | 1 in 8,911,711 |
Catching all 20 of 20 numbers is about 1 in 3.5 quintillion (1 in 3,535,316,142,212,174,320), which is why no game offers it.
Worked example: Virginia Lottery 10-spot keno ($1 bet)
| Numbers matched | Prize | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $100,000 | 1 in 8,911,711 |
| 9 | $5,000 | 1 in 163,381 |
| 8 | $500 | 1 in 7,384 |
| 7 | $50 | 1 in 621 |
| 6 | $10 | 1 in 87 |
| 5 | $3 | 1 in 19 |
| 4 | $1 | 1 in 7 |
| 0 | $2 | 1 in 22 |
The lottery lists the overall odds of winning a prize as 1 in 3.9, which sounds good until you notice that most of those wins are the $1 prize for 4 matches, which only gives you your stake back. Multiply each prize by its chance and add them up, and a $1 ticket pays back about 69.8 cents on average, a house edge of about 30%.
How to calculate keno odds yourself
The chance of catching k numbers when you pick n spots is: (ways to choose k of the 20 drawn numbers) × (ways to choose the other n − k from the 60 not drawn) ÷ (ways to choose n from 80). For 5 of 5 that is 15,504 ÷ 24,040,016, or 1 in 1,551. Any spreadsheet can do it with COMBIN(20,k) × COMBIN(60,n−k) ÷ COMBIN(80,n).
What are the best keno odds?
The best keno odds are in the games that pay back the most, not the ones with the most or fewest spots. Crypto keno games such as Stake’s return 99%. The best video keno pay tables return about 95%: the Wizard of Odds’ keno scouting guide lists a plain pick-6 pay table at 94.99%. Live and lottery keno return about 65% to 80%, so they are the worst choice if your aim is to make your money last.
If you play crypto keno, our guide to sites like Stake compares casinos with their own keno games, and our best payout casinos page covers where withdrawals are quickest.
Multi-card keno, way tickets and split tickets
- Multi-card keno: a video keno version where you play several cards on the same draw, usually 4 and on some machines up to 20. Four Card Keno and 20-Card Keno run on IGT’s Game King machines.
- Way ticket: you mark two or more equal-sized groups of numbers, and the ticket combines them into several bets at once.
- Split ticket: two or more separate bets written on one ticket, each paid on its own.
- Combination ticket: groups of any size that you choose how to combine.
All of these put more bets on the same draw. They change how often you win something and how much you stake, but every bet inside them still carries the same house edge.
Where does keno come from?
Keno started in China, where it was played as baige piao, “white dove tickets”. Chinese immigrants brought it to the United States in the 19th century. When Nevada casinos began offering it in the 1930s, the numbers were given racehorse names so the game would not count as a lottery under state law, which is why it was long called “racehorse keno”.
Play keno for fun, not as a plan
Keno is cheap to play and easy to learn, but it is one of the most expensive casino games over time. Decide on your budget before you start, stop when it is gone, and never try to win back losses. Our tips on how to win more and lose less when gambling and our responsible gambling guide explain how to set limits. Need a term explained? Try our gambling terms glossary.
Keno FAQs
How do you win at keno?
You win when enough of the numbers you picked are among the 20 drawn. No method makes that more likely; you can only choose games with better pay tables and bet amounts you can afford.
What is the best number of spots to play in keno?
There is no spot count with better odds in every game, because it depends on the pay table. Fewer spots win small prizes more often, while 8 to 10 spots rarely win but can pay big. Compare the return of each pay table before you choose.
What are the odds of hitting 10 out of 10 in keno?
1 in 8,911,711 in a standard 80-number game with 20 drawn. Seven out of seven is 1 in 40,979 and five out of five is 1 in 1,551.
Do hot and cold numbers help in keno?
No. Every draw is independent, so a number that came up often in recent games is no more or less likely to come up next.
Does playing more keno cards improve your odds?
Each card gives you another chance on the same draw, but it costs another bet and carries the same house edge. Over time you lose more, not less.
What is the house edge in keno?
About 20% to 35% for live casino keno, about 30% to 35% for US lottery keno, about 5% to 16% for video keno and 1% for Stake’s crypto keno.
How we checked this
Each fact on this page is checked against at least two independent sources, and we worked out the odds and returns ourselves from the number of balls and each lottery’s published prizes:
- 80 numbers, 20 drawn, and how many spots you can pick: Wizard of Odds, Wikipedia and Casino.org.
- Live keno returns of 65% to 80% (house edge 20% to 35%): Wizard of Odds (2001 Las Vegas survey), Britannica (about 25%) and Wikipedia (20% to 40%).
- Lottery keno returns: WGBH (Massachusetts, about 70%) and Wizard of Odds (Connecticut, 64.86%). Prize tables and odds: Virginia Lottery and Pennsylvania Lottery; the 69.8% and 64.8% returns are our own calculations.
- Video keno returns of about 84% to 95%: Wizard of Odds and Las Vegas Advisor (85% to 94%; 89.97% on the Strip). Best pick-6 pay table at 94.99%: Wizard of Odds keno scouting guide.
- Stake keno: 99% return, 40-number board with 10 drawn: Stake and Strafe.
- Odds of catching all your numbers (1 in 1,551, 1 in 40,979, 1 in 8,911,711 and 20 of 20): our own calculations, matching Wizard of Odds, the Virginia Lottery and Wikipedia.
- Draws are random and past numbers do not predict the next draw: WGBH and PokerListings.
- Spot-count rules of thumb: Casino.org (4 to 8) and PokerListings (4 to 6).
- Multi-card keno (4 to 20 cards, same edge per card): Wizard of Odds, VideoPoker.com and URComped.
- Way, split and combination tickets: New Jersey keno regulations (N.J.A.C. 13:69F-15.2) and Casino.org.
- History and “racehorse keno”: Britannica, Wikipedia and Las Vegas Advisor.
- Figures last checked: 11 October 2026.
Important: check your local laws before you play
Online gambling laws differ from country to country, and in some places it is restricted or not permitted at all. Check that online gambling is legal where you live and that the casino accepts players from your country. You must be 18 or older (or the legal gambling age in your country, if higher). Only gamble with money you can afford to lose.
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