How to Play Keno: Rules, Odds and Pay Tables
How to play keno: pick your spots from 1 to 80, the game draws 20, and you are paid on your hits. Plus the real odds, from 1 in 4 to 1 in 8.9 million.
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About this video: How to Play Keno
How to Play Keno explains the lottery-style numbers game in a few simple steps. You pick numbers from 1 to 80, and the game draws 20 of them. Then you are paid on how many of your picks match.
First, the video walks through a round. You choose a stake, and then you pick your spots, usually between 1 and 10. Next, the game draws 20 numbers, and every spot that comes up counts as a hit.
Next, it shows the real odds. Any single number has a 1 in 4 chance, because 20 of the 80 numbers are drawn. However, catching all 10 on a 10-spot ticket is about 1 in 8.9 million.
Finally, it explains pay tables. Each game sets its own, so the house edge varies, and it is usually higher than table games. Also, picking more spots does not improve your odds. Hot numbers, patterns and betting systems make no difference either.
However, rules and offers change. For that reason, we check every video against the Gambling Commission and other official sources. In fact, we last checked this one on 16 October 2026.
Read the transcript
Keno is a lottery-style numbers game that takes seconds to learn. Here’s how to play, and the real odds of hitting your numbers.
You pick some numbers from 1 to 80, and the game draws 20 of them at random. You are paid according to how many of your picks match.
First, choose your stake. Then pick your numbers, called spots, usually between 1 and 10. The game draws 20 numbers, and every spot that comes up is a hit.
Because 20 of the 80 numbers are drawn, any single number you pick has a 1 in 4 chance of coming up.
However, the more spots you pick, the less likely you are to hit them all. Two spots is about 1 in 16.6. Catching all 10 on a 10-spot ticket is about 1 in 8.9 million.
On a 4-spot ticket, you catch two numbers or fewer about 95% of the time. All four comes up less than one time in 300.
Each keno game sets its own pay table, and that sets the house edge. It is usually higher than table games, so check the return to player. Picking more spots does not improve your odds.
Finally, ignore hot and cold numbers, patterns and lucky numbers. Every draw is random. And raising your stake after a loss only makes losses bigger and faster.
18+. Please gamble responsibly.
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