How does lottery Keno work?
The standard game works like this. Before the draw, you choose how many numbers to play, called spots, and then choose the numbers or let the terminal pick them. The lottery draws 20 numbers from a field of 80. Your prize depends on two things: how many spots you played and how many of them came up.
The same number of matches pays very different amounts on different tickets. Matching 5 numbers on a 5-spot ticket is that ticket's top prize. Matching 5 on a 10-spot ticket is a small win, because a 10-spot ticket catches 5 of the 20 drawn numbers fairly often (about 1 time in 19).
Not every game uses the standard format. Michigan's once-a-day Keno game, for example, draws 22 numbers from 80 and has you pick 10, so its odds differ from the figures below. Check your state's rules before comparing.
What are the Keno odds for each spot count?
In a 20-from-80 game, the odds of matching every number you picked depend only on how many spots you play. The prizes vary by state. The figures below use Washington's Daily Keno pay table for a $1 play as an example, from the Washington's Lottery game page.
| Spots played | Odds of matching all | Washington Daily Keno prize ($1 play) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 in 4 | $2 |
| 4 | 1 in 326 | $24 |
| 5 | 1 in 1,551 | $200 |
| 8 | 1 in 230,115 | $10,000 |
| 10 | 1 in 8,911,711 | $100,000 |
Most 10-spot pay tables also pay something for matching none of your numbers. Missing all 10 happens about 1 time in 22, which is rarer than several of the paying outcomes, and Washington pays $3 for it on a $1 play.
The pattern holds in every state: more spots give you a higher top prize and longer odds of hitting it, plus more small consolation tiers along the way. Some states sell an optional multiplier for an extra cost per play. Like Powerball's Power Play, it raises the size of non-jackpot wins without changing your chance of winning, so read the state's rules for the price and the possible multipliers.
How often are Keno numbers drawn?
There are two kinds of lottery Keno.
Rapid-draw Keno, sometimes sold as Club Keno, runs a new draw every few minutes during the day in states that offer it. The numbers appear on monitors in bars, restaurants and other retailers, and a single ticket can usually cover one draw or a run of consecutive draws. Draw intervals, hours and the maximum number of consecutive draws are set by each state.
Daily Keno works like any other draw game, with one drawing a night. Washington's Daily Keno is drawn at 8 p.m. Pacific every night, with plays of $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $10 or $20 and a maximum win of $500,000. Michigan's daily Keno is also drawn nightly. Results for both are on our Washington Daily Keno and Michigan Keno pages.
The rapid version is fast enough that spending adds up quickly. Setting a budget before the first ticket is the one piece of strategy that reliably helps; our guide to what actually works covers the rest.
How many spots should you play?
There's no best number, only a trade-off. Fewer spots mean you'll hit your ticket's top prize more often, but that prize is small. More spots buy a much bigger top prize that you'll almost certainly never hit, with smaller consolation prizes in between. In Washington's game, the overall odds of winning something are similar across spot counts (1 in 4 for a 1-spot, about 1 in 9 to 1 in 10 for 8 and 10 spots); what changes is how the prize money is spread.
Which numbers you choose doesn't matter. Every number is equally likely in every draw, and past draws have no effect on the next one, so hot and cold numbers mean nothing here. Quick Pick is as good as any system. The decisions that change your results are the spot count, the wager and whether to buy an add-on.
Are Keno winnings taxed?
Yes. Keno prizes are gambling winnings and count as taxable income, whether or not you receive a tax form. Small prizes can usually be cashed at a retailer up to a limit your state sets; larger ones go to a lottery office.
For federal reporting, the IRS Form W-2G instructions set a minimum reporting threshold of $2,000 for payments made in 2026, adjusted for inflation each year after that. Previously the thresholds were $600 for most lottery prizes and $1,500 for casino-style keno. State lotteries generally withhold 24% federal tax from prizes over $5,000, and your state's tax may also apply. More detail is in our guide to taxes on small winnings.
Keno FAQ
How does lottery Keno work?
In most games the lottery draws 20 numbers out of 80. You choose how many numbers to play (usually 1 to 10 spots), and your prize depends on how many spots you played and how many of them were drawn.
What are the odds of hitting a 10-spot in Keno?
About 1 in 8,911,711 in a standard 20-from-80 game. Washington's Daily Keno pays $100,000 for it on a $1 play, and many 10-spot games also pay a small prize for matching none of your numbers, which happens about 1 time in 22.
How often are Keno drawings held?
It depends on the game. Rapid-draw Keno runs a new drawing every few minutes during the day in the states that offer it, while daily Keno games, such as Washington's, are drawn once a night.
Are Keno winnings taxed?
Yes. Keno prizes are taxable income. For 2026 the minimum federal W-2G reporting threshold is $2,000, state lotteries generally withhold 24% federal tax on prizes over $5,000, and state tax may also apply.
Is there a strategy for picking Keno numbers?
No. Every number is equally likely in every draw. The choices that matter are how many spots you play, how much you wager and whether to pay for a multiplier.
Sources: Washington's Lottery Daily Keno game page (draw time, wagers, pay table); IRS Instructions for Forms W-2G and 5754; Michigan Keno game format from the draw data on this site. Odds calculated from the 20-of-80 format.
