To play keno, you choose a bet and pick up to 10 numbers from 1 to 80. The game then draws 20 numbers at random. Every one of your numbers that gets drawn is a catch, and the pay table for your number of spots tells you what those catches pay.
At BetMGM, Cleopatra Keno lists a 94.22% RTP and Lightning Box Keno lists 94%. That’s a house edge of about 6%, which is high for a game with no decisions.
Learning how to play keno online takes about a minute. You pick your numbers, press play, and the game draws the numbers for that round. Unlike lottery keno, which draws on a schedule, you play on your own at licensed US online casinos, so a new round starts every time you press play.
Bets can run anywhere from $0.01 up to $500 per draw, depending on the site and title you pick. After that, your only choices are which title you play, how much you bet, and how many spots you pick. You have to be 21 or older to play.
What I Liked and Disliked About Online Keno
Keno isn’t one of my main games, and the reason is simple. The first thing I look at in any casino game is the house edge, and keno’s is high.
I usually open Cleopatra Keno and tap Quick Pick, which picks six numbers for me. I always check the pay screen for 6 spots before the first round, because each spot count has its own pay table. Then I keep an eye on the last drawn number, since that’s where the Scarab has to land for the free rounds.
The pace is what you notice first. A round starts the moment you press play, so it’s easy to play a lot of rounds in a short time.
On a 6-spot, about two rounds in three end with just one or two catches, which pays nothing on the example pay table below. That’s why I set my bet and my number of rounds before I start.
What I Liked
- Online keno returns far more than live or lottery keno. The two titles with a published RTP return 94% and 94.22%. Las Vegas live keno returned 65% to 80% in a 2001 survey, and North Carolina lottery keno returns about 66%, so online is the clear pick.
- Tiny stakes. Caveman Keno and Prairie Thunder Keno at FanDuel take bets from $0.01 per draw, so a small budget lasts.
- The draw math is fully known. I can work out the exact chance of every catch (six of 6 is about 1 in 7,753). A slot never lets me do that, because its reel weighting isn’t published.
- No waiting. Rounds start when I press play. With lottery keno, I’d wait about 4 minutes between draws.
What I Disliked
- A high house edge with no decisions. Cleopatra Keno’s house edge is 5.78% and Lightning Box Keno’s is 6%. Nothing you choose in the game lowers either one.
- No pay table outside the game. None of the operator pages we found publish one, so you can’t compare returns by spot count until you’re already in the game.
- Long dry stretches on bonus keno. In one worked example of a Cleopatra-style pick-8 table, the base game returns just 59.33% and the free games add 30.82%. That means a big part of your return is waiting in bonus rounds that don’t come often.
The online keno titles with a published RTP keep about 6% of every bet over time, and nothing you decide lowers that. If you want your choices to cut the house edge, skip keno.
If you still want a low-decision game at small stakes, play a 6-spot on a set budget. Just keep in mind that the edge is more than 10 times the 0.40% you’d face at a standard blackjack game with optimal strategy.
How to Play Keno: How a Round Plays Out
Once you’ve played one online keno title, you know how they all work. Every title we checked uses 80 numbers, draws 20, and pays based on your spots and catches. The main thing that changes from game to game is the bonus features.
Choose Your Bet per Draw
Limits depend on the title. They run from $0.01 (Caveman Keno and Prairie Thunder Keno at FanDuel) up to $500 (Cleopatra Keno).
Pick Your Spots
Tap up to 10 numbers on the 1 to 80 board, or use Quick Pick to let the game choose.
Check the Pay Table
Open the game’s help or pay screen and find your spot count. Each spot count has its own table, so don’t skip this step.
Press Play
The RNG draws 20 numbers, and each pick that matches is a catch.
Get Paid by Catches
The game pays your catches from the pay table, and the next round starts when you press play again.
That round went better than most. Each pick has a 25% chance of being drawn, so on average a 6-spot round catches 1.5 numbers. Three catches is double that.
Keno Rules and Payouts
The keno rules are the same in every title: 80 numbers, 20 drawn, and no number drawn twice in a round. What you get paid comes down to your bet, your spot count, and your catches.
Keno Spots: How Many Numbers to Pick
I’d spend more time on your spot count than on which numbers you pick. The online titles we checked let you pick up to 10 spots, and Lightning Box Keno needs at least 3. More spots get you more catches on average (see the badges below), but the top prize gets much harder to hit.
The spot count changes how much your results swing more than it changes the return. On the example Pay Table 7 below, 3 to 8 spots return 94.35% to 94.99%. The return drops to 93.60% at 9 spots and 93.20% at 10, and it’s lowest at 2 spots (90.19%) and 1 spot (75.00%).
- ¼–¾
1 to 3 Spots
Catching every spot runs from 1 in 4 (1 spot) to 1 in 72.07 (3 spots). The top prize is small, but it comes up more often.
- 1–1¾
4 to 7 Spots
All four is 1 in 326.44 and all seven is 1 in 40,979.31. You get a mix of small pays and a rare large one.
- 2–2½
8 to 10 Spots
All 10 is 1 in 8,911,711.18. Most rounds pay nothing, and the big prizes almost never come up.
Keno Payout Chart: An Example Pay Table
This is an example pay table from Wizard of Odds, not one from a casino. We couldn’t find any online title’s pay table published outside the game, so use this one to learn how they read, then check the real one in your game before you play.
“Pays for 1” means the total you get back for each $1 bet, including the bet itself. So 3 for 1 returns $3 on a $1 bet, which is a $2 profit.
| Spots and Catches | Pays for 1 | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| 4 spots: 2 catches | 2 | 21.26% |
| 4 spots: 3 catches | 5 | 4.325% |
| 4 spots: 4 catches | 100 | 0.3063% |
| 6 spots: 3 catches | 3 | 12.98% |
| 6 spots: 4 catches | 4 | 2.854% |
| 6 spots: 5 catches | 75 | 0.3096% |
| 6 spots: 6 catches | 1,660 | 0.0129% |
| 8 spots: 4 catches | 2 | 8.15% |
| 8 spots: 5 catches | 13 | 1.83% |
| 8 spots: 6 catches | 100 | 0.2367% |
| 8 spots: 7 catches | 1,670 | 0.01605% |
| 8 spots: 8 catches | 10,000 | 1 in 230,115 |
| 10 spots: 5 catches | 5 | 5.143% |
| 10 spots: 6 catches | 24 | 1.148% |
| 10 spots: 7 catches | 146 | 0.1611% |
| 10 spots: 8 catches | 1,000 | 0.01354% |
| 10 spots: 9 catches | 4,500 | 1 in 163,381 |
| 10 spots: 10 catches | 10,000 | 1 in 8,911,711 |
Any catch count that isn’t listed pays nothing. On this table, 4 spots returns 94.78%, 6 spots returns 94.99%, 8 spots returns 94.90%, and 10 spots returns 93.20%, so 6 spots comes out on top.
Cleopatra Keno Rules and Free Games Bonus
Cleopatra Keno is an IGT title, and it plays like any other keno. You pick up to 10 spots, the game draws 20 numbers per round, and Quick Pick picks 6 for you. BetMGM lists its RTP at 94.22%, with bets from $0.10 to $500 per draw.
The bonus is the Scarab. If it lands on the last drawn number, and that number is one of your picks in a winning combination, you get 12 free rounds with doubled wins.
Keep in mind how much of the return sits in that bonus. On a Cleopatra-style pick-8 table worked out on a Wizard of Vegas forum, the base game returns 59.33%, and the free games add 30.82%, for 90.15% in total. The online version doesn’t publish its own split.
Power Keno, Lightning Box Keno, and Other Keno Games
Lightning Box Keno lets you pick 3 to 10 spots on a 10×8 grid. Six or more Lightning Balls trigger Lightning Respins, and the top payout is 2,500x your stake. The game is labeled high volatility, so expect long stretches of small or no wins between the big ones. BetMGM lists its RTP at 94%.
For the other keno titles below, we couldn’t find a published RTP, so the table only lists their bet ranges. Check the game info for the RTP before you play any of them.
| Title | Bet Range | Where Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Power Keno | $0.10 to $200 | FanDuel |
| Caveman Keno | $0.01 to $50 | FanDuel |
| Dragon Power Keno | $0.05 to $30 | FanDuel |
| Thundering Box Keno | $0.60 to $75 (FanDuel), $0.60 to $18 (BetMGM) | FanDuel, BetMGM |
| Buy a Ball Keno | $0.50 to $25 | FanDuel |
| Lucky 8 Keno | $0.25 to $10 | FanDuel, BetMGM |
Keno Odds and House Edge
Keno odds are fixed math, because every number has a 1 in 4 chance of being drawn. The draw works the same in every game. What changes the house edge is the pay table, so that’s where your attention should go.
- 94.22%Cleopatra Keno RTP at BetMGM
- 5.78%Cleopatra Keno house edge
- 1 in 4Chance any one number is drawn
- 1 in 8.9 millionChance of catching 10 of 10
Keno Odds Chart for 1 to 10 Spots
You don’t need a keno odds calculator. These are the exact chances for every spot count, and they’re the same numbers a calculator would give you.
| Spots | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 75% | 25% | |||||||||
| 2 | 56.01% | 37.97% | 6.013% | ||||||||
| 3 | 41.65% | 43.09% | 13.88% | 1.388% | |||||||
| 4 | 30.83% | 43.27% | 21.26% | 4.325% | 0.3063% | ||||||
| 5 | 22.72% | 40.57% | 27.05% | 8.394% | 1.209% | 0.06449% | |||||
| 6 | 16.66% | 36.35% | 30.83% | 12.98% | 2.854% | 0.3096% | 0.0129% | ||||
| 7 | 12.16% | 31.52% | 32.67% | 17.5% | 5.219% | 0.8639% | 0.07321% | 1 in 40,979 | |||
| 8 | 8.827% | 26.65% | 32.81% | 21.48% | 8.15% | 1.83% | 0.2367% | 0.01605% | 1 in 230,115 | ||
| 9 | 6.375% | 22.07% | 31.64% | 24.61% | 11.41% | 3.26% | 0.572% | 0.05917% | 1 in 30,682 | 1 in 1,380,688 | |
| 10 | 4.579% | 17.96% | 29.53% | 26.74% | 14.73% | 5.143% | 1.148% | 0.1611% | 0.01354% | 1 in 163,381 | 1 in 8,911,711 |
Where a cell shows “1 in” a number, the chance is under 0.01%. A blank cell is a catch count you can’t reach with that many spots.
| Spots | At Least 1 Catch | All Spots Caught | Average Catches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25.00% | 1 in 4 | 0.25 |
| 2 | 43.99% | 1 in 16.63 | 0.5 |
| 3 | 58.35% | 1 in 72.07 | 0.75 |
| 4 | 69.17% | 1 in 326.44 | 1.0 |
| 5 | 77.28% | 1 in 1,550.57 | 1.25 |
| 6 | 83.34% | about 1 in 7,753 | 1.5 |
| 7 | 87.84% | 1 in 40,979.31 | 1.75 |
| 8 | 91.17% | 1 in 230,114.61 | 2.0 |
| 9 | 93.63% | 1 in 1,380,687.65 | 2.25 |
| 10 | 95.42% | 1 in 8,911,711.18 | 2.5 |
Don’t let the first column fool you. A 10-spot catches at least one number 95.42% of the time, but catching all 10 is 1 in 8,911,711.18. Most 10-spot rounds catch something, but few catch enough to pay well.
Keno House Edge and RTP by Title
Cleopatra Keno’s 94.22% RTP works out to a 5.78% house edge, and Lightning Box Keno’s 94% is a 6% edge. Both are high for a casino game.
| Game | RTP | House Edge | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleopatra Keno | 94.22% | 5.78% | BetMGM game page |
| Lightning Box Keno | 94% | 6% | BetMGM game page |
| Pay Table 7, 6 spots | 94.99% | 5.01% | Wizard of Odds (example table) |
| Pay Table 7, 10 spots | 93.20% | 6.8% | Wizard of Odds (example table) |
BetMGM says both of its figures may vary by jurisdiction, so check the game info in your state. A secondary source (SportsLine) reports 95.03% to 95.47% for some Borgata titles and 96.2% to 97.13% for DraftKings Buy a Ball. We couldn’t confirm those on an operator page.
Here’s what that means in dollars. Play 100 rounds at $1 on Cleopatra Keno and you’ve bet $100, and you can expect to lose about $5.78 of it on average. That’s more than five times the 1.06% edge on baccarat’s Banker bet.
Keno Variance: Why Most Rounds Pay Nothing
The more spots you pick, the more of your return is tied up in rare top prizes. On the example table, a 10-spot only pays for 5 or more catches, and that happens just 6.47% of the time. Lightning Box Keno is labeled high volatility for the same reason.
One player says 7-spots pay well but are hard to hit, and the math agrees: catching all seven is 1 in 40,979.31. Plan your budget for the dry stretches.
Keno Strategy That Actually Matters
No keno strategy can change which numbers get drawn. What you can control is the title you play (its RTP), your spot count (how much your results swing), and how much you bet per round.
How to Win at Keno: What You Control
I pick the title with the highest published RTP and a spot count whose losing stretches I can live with. Then I set a bet and a number of rounds before I start. Over time, every title pays back less than you bet, so if you win a session, enjoy it, but know it was short-term luck.
Best Keno Numbers and Hot and Cold Numbers
There are no best keno numbers, so don’t spend time hunting for them. Each number has the same 1 in 4 chance every round, and past draws don’t change the next one. Even BetMGM’s own keno guide says there are no hot or cold numbers (numbers that came up often or rarely in recent rounds) and that patterns are unreliable.
Plenty of players still play patterns. One player reports hitting a 6-spot by playing pairs across 41 to 50, and another tells people to watch the numbers before picking. It’s fine to play numbers you like, but Wizard of Odds says it makes no difference which numbers you choose.
Is Keno Rigged?
Licensed online keno draws its numbers with an RNG, so every round is random and has nothing to do with the last one. Cold streaks are normal, so expect them. With 10 spots, 4.58% of rounds catch nothing, and most rounds catch 1 to 3 numbers.
Streaks like that can look like rigging. On a crypto casino forum (not a US-licensed site), one player posted a keno result as proof of rigging, and a reply pointed out that it fit the probabilities.
If you want a game where your decisions change the return, learn how to play video poker.
Online Keno vs Land-Based and Lottery Keno
The draw is the same 20 of 80 everywhere, but the return is not, and that’s the main reason I’d play keno online. At a retail casino you’ll find video keno machines and live keno with a board, and state lotteries run a third version.
Online Keno (Licensed US Sites)
Pros
- 94% to 94.22% RTP on the two titles with a published figure.
- Bets from $0.01 per draw.
- Rounds start when you press play.
- 21+ in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia at BetMGM.
Cons
- Pay tables aren’t posted outside the game.
- The fast pace means more rounds, and more money bet, per hour.
Video Keno and Live Keno (Land-Based)
Pros
- The best casinos’ machines return about as much as online: up to 93.52% in a 2017 Las Vegas survey and up to 95% in a 2008 San Diego survey.
- You can play many cards at once: one player reports playing all 20 cards on a Las Vegas machine.
Cons
- Las Vegas live keno returned only 65% to 80% in a 2001 survey.
- Some machines pay a lower return at small bets.
Lottery Keno vs Casino Keno
| Venue | Return | House Edge | Source and Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleopatra Keno, online | 94.22% | 5.78% | BetMGM, 2026 |
| Lightning Box Keno, online | 94% | 6% | BetMGM, 2026 |
| Las Vegas video keno | 87.15% to 93.52% | 6.48% to 12.85% | Wizard of Vegas survey, 2017 |
| San Diego video keno | 84% to 95% | 5% to 16% | Wizard of Odds survey, 2008 |
| Las Vegas live keno | 65% to 80% | 20% to 35% | Wizard of Odds survey, 2001 |
| North Carolina lottery keno, 3 to 10 spots | 65.2% to 66.7% | 33.3% to 34.8% | Computed from NC Education Lottery prize tables, 2026 |
Lottery keno is a bad deal next to online keno. It draws on a schedule about every 4 minutes, with set prizes, and the North Carolina 1-spot returns just 50%. So if you hear a player say keno keeps about 35%, they’re talking about land-based or lottery keno, not the online games.
If you like this style of play, bingo is the other number-draw game in the casino, so learn how to play bingo.
Where to Play Keno Online for Real Money
You can play real-money keno at BetMGM if you’re 21 or older and in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia. FanDuel lists 11 keno titles in its New Jersey lobby. None of the sites we checked offers a live dealer version, so every title here is RNG.
Whichever site you use, check each title’s RTP in the game info and pick the highest one. For the states and licensed sites, see our online casino guide.
Common Questions About Keno
What are the odds of hitting 10 out of 10 in keno?
How many numbers should you pick in keno?
How much does 6 numbers pay in keno?
What number hits most in keno?
Is lottery keno the same as casino keno?
Is keno a good bet?
Where to Go From Here
- Pick a title and check its RTP in the game info.
- Read the pay table for your spot count.
- Choose 4 to 7 spots if you want fewer long dry stretches than a 10-spot.
- Set a bet and a number of rounds before you start.
- Ignore hot and cold numbers.
- Play only at a site licensed in your state.
If you want a lower edge than keno, learn how to play blackjack or how to play roulette, or see all the casino games we rate.
Sources
Wizard of Odds, Keno (checked 2026-10-24) and Spot Keno, including Pay Table 7 (checked 2026-10-25); BetMGM, How to Play Keno (checked 2026-10-25), Cleopatra Keno casino game review (checked 2026-10-25), and Lightning Box Keno game page (checked 2026-10-24); FanDuel Casino NJ all games lobby (checked 2026-10-24); North Carolina Education Lottery, Keno How to Play (checked 2026-10-25); Wizard of Vegas, Video Keno Survey (checked 2026-10-25) and Variance of Cleopatra Keno forum thread (checked 2026-10-25); SportsLine, online keno (secondary, checked 2026-10-24); Fortune Scouts exact calculation, scripts/keno_odds.py (checked 2026-10-25); player reports from Reddit r/gambling, r/AskReddit, and r/NoStupidQuestions, Wizard of Vegas forum, and Stake Community forum (checked 2026-10-24 and 2026-10-25).