What Is the Pay Schedule for Video Keno?

I see a lot of people playing keno on machines. What is the payback schedule for this game and does it differ on the Strip and off the Strip?

The payback schedule (we're emphasizing the singular noun) for video keno? That's like asking about the payback schedule for video poker. Actually, video keno has more payback schedules than video poker, if you can imagine that.

In the new edition of our book Gambling 102, author Michael "Wizard of Odds" Shackleford lists 25 pages of video keno pay schedules, but that doesn't even begin to tell the story. For example, he has nine charts for spot keno (the conventional video keno game), where each chart covers one number (pick 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) and other than the pick 2, which has three paytables, they all have seven each. So spot keno alone has a total of 58 different pay schedules.

The chapter also has paytable charts for Caveman Keno 8X, 10x and Plus, Cleopatra Keno, Extra Draw Keno, Power Keno, and Triple Power Keno. All told and totaled, the eminent Mr. Shackleford lists 290 paytables for video keno.

As for differing Strip and off-Strip, we hope you can see that it's pretty much moot.

Mike Shackleford did a study in 2017 that compared video poker payouts with video keno payouts at all the major casinos in Las Vegas. He based his comparison on the paytables, which are quantifiable for both games. His conclusion: "The average Strip payback percentage for video poker was 97.01% and for video keno 89.97%. Downtown, it was 96.63% and 91.34%. So, the Strip was looser for video poker, but downtown for video keno."

Of course, the 8.66% house edge downtown isn't, to be sure, anything to brag about, even when compared to the 10.03% house edge on the Strip.

Those are the only numbers we know of that compare the two games; the Nevada Gaming Control Board lumps reel slots, video poker, and video keno together in one hold percentage per geographic location.

What is the payback schedule for video keno and does it differ on the Strip and off the Strip?

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Kevin Lewis Nov-21-2019

The Z paytable?

I seem to remember the El Cortez advertising that their video keno machines (which were once very numerous; they had a flat screen with the game card and a screen above showing payouts) had the "Z paytable," which they claimed returned 92%. I do remember that the paytables were better (comparing actual payouts, not return %) than anywhere else. Played a quarter one day and hit 7/7 for $1750.

Question of the Day - 21 November 2019

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