The paytable is a menu, not a forecast
You sit down at a keno screen, pick your numbers, and the machine shows a grid of figures before you confirm the bet. That grid is the paytable, and it is the single most important piece of information on the screen. It tells you what the game will pay for every possible outcome, but it does not tell you which outcome will happen, and it does not tell you which row is the best use of your money. The paytable is a menu of choices. Each row is a different bet with a different expected rate of loss, and the game lets you choose which row you want to play.
Keno is a lottery-style numbers game. You mark between one and ten numbers, sometimes more depending on the game, from a field that usually runs from 1 to 80. The game then draws twenty numbers. Your payout depends on how many of the numbers you marked are among the twenty drawn. The paytable is organised around those two variables: how many spots you picked, and how many of them you caught.
Because the paytable is the entire economic structure of the game, reading it correctly matters more than any strategy discussion. Two keno games can look identical on the screen but have materially different paytables, and the same number of catches can pay very different amounts depending on how many spots you chose.
What a typical keno paytable looks like
Most keno paytables are laid out as a grid. The left column lists the number of spots you can pick, from 1 up to 10 or 15. The top row lists the number of catches, from 0 up to the number of spots. Each cell in the grid shows a payout multiple of your wager. A cell that says 3 means a winning outcome pays three times your stake. A cell that is blank or shows a dash means that outcome pays nothing.
Here is the structure in table form, using a hypothetical paytable as an example. The numbers are illustrative, not from any specific game.
| Spots picked | Catch 0 | Catch 1 | Catch 2 | Catch 3 | Catch 4 | Catch 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | — | — | 12 | — | — | — |
| 3 | — | — | 1 | 16 | — | — |
| 4 | — | — | 2 | 6 | 50 | — |
| 5 | — | — | — | 2 | 14 | 300 |
In this example, picking four spots and catching four pays 50 times your wager. Picking three spots and catching two pays only 1 times your wager, which is just your stake back. Picking two spots and catching one pays nothing. The paytable makes the trade-off visible: more spots picked means a larger potential top prize, but it also means more ways to catch nothing or catch too few to matter.
The two numbers that define every row
Every cell in a keno paytable is built from two inputs. The first is the probability of that exact number of catches for that number of spots. The game draws twenty numbers from eighty, and the chance of catching a given number depends on how many spots you picked. The second input is the payout multiple the game assigns to that outcome. The operator sets the payout multiples, and the probability is fixed by the game's structure. Together they determine the expected return of that row.
This is where keno differs from a game like roulette. On a roulette wheel, every bet on a given layout has the same house edge because the payouts are set in a fixed relationship to the probabilities. On a keno paytable, each row can have a different house edge because the operator can set each payout multiple independently. One row might return a large share of the money wagered on it over the long run, while another row on the same paytable returns much less.
You cannot see the house edge printed on the paytable. What you can see is the payout multiple and the number of spots. To compare rows, you need the probability of each catch count, which is a fixed mathematical value for a standard 80-number, 20-draw game. Publicly published reference sources list these probabilities, and the game's information panel may also display a theoretical return for the game as a whole. What the paytable itself tells you is the payout structure, and that is the part the operator controls.
Why the same number of catches pays differently
A common point of confusion is that catching three numbers pays one amount when you picked three spots and a different amount when you picked five spots. The reason is that the probability of catching three out of three is very different from the probability of catching three out of five. The paytable reflects that difference. Catching three out of three is relatively unlikely, so the payout is larger. Catching three out of five is more common, so the payout is smaller, and in some games it pays nothing at all.
This means you cannot evaluate a keno payout in isolation. A paytable that pays 16 for catching three out of three is not necessarily better than a paytable that pays 14 for catching four out of four. The expected return depends on the full set of probabilities and payouts for that row, not on any single cell.
Where the paytable is displayed
In a physical keno lounge, the paytable is printed on the ticket or posted at the writing station. In a video keno machine or an online casino game, the paytable is usually behind an information button, a help button, or a rules screen. On a mobile app, it may be behind a question mark icon or a menu labelled game rules or paytable. The paytable is always accessible before you place a bet, and reading it before you wager is the only way to know what the game pays.
Some keno games also offer a progressive jackpot for catching all of your spots. The paytable will show a fixed amount for that top row, but if the game is progressive, the amount grows from a share of qualifying wagers and resets after a win. The paytable may show the base amount, while the current progressive value is displayed separately on the screen. Progressive contributions are typically taken out of the game's return, and some progressives require a maximum-stake bet to qualify.
What the paytable cannot tell you
The paytable tells you the payout multiples. It does not tell you the house edge on each row, the volatility of the game, or whether the game is a good use of your bankroll. Volatility in keno is generally high, because the top prizes are rare and the most common outcome is catching few or none of your spots. Volatility does not change the return to player, but it changes how a session feels. A row with a large top prize and a low probability of any win at all will produce long stretches of losing bets followed by occasional large payouts.
The return to player, or RTP, is a theoretical percentage of total wagered money a game returns to players over a very large number of plays. It is a long-run statistical average, not a per-session guarantee. House edge and RTP are complements: they sum to 100% for the same game. If a keno game publishes an RTP, it is an average across the whole paytable, not a figure for any single row. Some rows will return more than the published average, and some will return less.
No betting pattern changes the built-in edge of a negative-expectation game. Choosing fewer spots or more spots changes which row of the paytable you are playing, and that changes your expected rate of loss, but it does not create a way to win. The paytable is a set of choices, and the choice that matters is which row you select before the draw.
FAQ
Does every keno game use the same paytable?
No. The paytable is set by the operator or the game developer, and two keno games can have different payout multiples for the same number of spots and catches. Always check the paytable on the specific game you are playing before you place a bet.
What does a blank cell in a keno paytable mean?
A blank cell means that outcome pays nothing. For example, if you pick five spots and catch one, many paytables show a blank or a dash in that cell, meaning the wager is lost. The blank cells are just as important as the filled ones because they show how many outcomes return nothing.
Is picking more spots always a worse bet?
Not necessarily. Picking more spots usually increases the top prize and the chance of catching at least one number, but it also changes the probability of each catch count and the payout for each. The expected return of a row depends on the full set of probabilities and payout multiples, not on the number of spots alone. Some paytables are structured so that certain spot counts return more than others.
If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, help is available. Contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline at the helpline printed in the footer below for confidential support, resources, and treatment options. Please play responsibly and within your limits.
Play responsibly
Gambling should be treated as paid entertainment, never as a way to earn income or recover losses. 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738)
18+ or 21+ depending on where you are; follow the minimum age that applies to you.
This article is general information about how these mechanics work. It is not legal advice and not a recommendation to gamble or to use any particular operator. Availability and legality differ by jurisdiction — check the rules that apply where you are.