What are the Win Probabilities in a Keno Game?

Keno is a lottery gambling game, based on chances, played with cards bearing numbers in a square. You can choose up to 20 lucky numbers ranging from 1 to 80 and use them to place a bet.

If you wanted to test your luck in a Keno game, you probably wondered what were the probabilities and odds of winning in this game? Do the odds stack in your favour? Many casino enthusiasts choose at first to play Keno Gambling due to the game’s significant ‘house edge‘, which ranges from ‘less than 4%’ to ‘greater than 35%’.

Calculating keno odds is a bit difficult as you get to choose the number of digits for every round. Nevertheless, let’s take a look at some of the possibilities that you can encounter playing this game. and delve into the keno odds of winning.

What Are the Odds of Winning In Keno?

The amount of money you can win playing keno is directly linked to the number or numbers you have that were drawn.

Of course, keno is a game of luck, but you can still tailor your gameplay and bets to match the rewards you want to potentially win:

• One Number: Selections with fewer numbers are easier to calculate, and the chances of winning from one number from 20 drawn is one in four.
• Two Numbers: Now the odds shift to 1 in 17 against you being able to match two numbers from those drawn.
• Three Numbers: To match three numbers requires more luck but does give higher payouts if you match all three despite odds of 1 in 73.
• Four Numbers: Matching four numbers carries odds of 1 in 327 if you hit all four.
• Five Numbers: The big bet and where keno gets its name, you have really long odds of one in 1,551 but much bigger payouts.

Choosing One Number in the Games

Most keno games offer a total of 80 numbers, with 20 numbers being drawn each round. Keno players can select up to 15 numbers out of the 20 drawn.

Let’s say that you choose just one number. The probability of getting that number in twenty takes is 25% as 20 is ¼ of 80. However, if you are playing keno for real money, you probably know that the payout is pretty small if you always choose just one number. For example, if you bet £1, you will get £3 as a reward.

Play With More Numbers

If you select two numbers, you need to get both of them right to win the prize. We are going to skip the tiresome calculations involving combinatorial functions and get straight to the results. There are 3,160 ways to draw two numbers out of 80 and 190 ways to catch two numbers out of 20. When converted to percentages, the probability of getting two numbers right is 6.01%. If you bet £1 and get both numbers, you will receive approximately £12.

The probability of catching three is even smaller, and it is approximately 1.39%. The good thing about keno is that it has consolation prizes. In other words, you don’t have to get all of the winning numbers to get a prize. In fact, if you choose three and catch two, there’s still a reward for you.

That’s actually the beauty of keno – you get rewarded even if you don’t get all the numbers right! Naturally, the more numbers you choose, the more difficult it gets to get them all right. Therefore, make sure to plan your keno strategy carefully!