Keno Odds Explained
Every lottery ticket buys you one shot at every combination. Here's the full mathematical breakdown of your chances for every Keno prize tier — and honest context on what those numbers actually mean.
Jackpot odds
1 in 2,147,181
Total combinations
About 161884.6 trillion
161,884,603,662,657,876
Overall win odds
1 in 17
any prize, any tier
All Prize Tiers & Odds
Every official prize tier for Keno, with context on what those odds actually look like.
| Tier | Numbers to match | Odds | Typical prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| JackpotTop Prize | 10 numbers | 1 in 2,147,1812× more likely than the chance of being struck by lightning this year | Varies by draw |
| Type 9 | 9 numbers | 1 in 383,8387× more likely than the chance of turning professional as a young athlete | Varies by draw |
| Type 8 | 8 numbers | 1 in 74,941about as likely as turning professional as a young athlete | Varies by draw |
| Type 7 | 7 numbers | 1 in 11,047about as likely as finding a four-leaf clover on your first try | Varies by draw |
| Type 6 | 6 numbers | 1 in 3,386about as likely as getting a hole-in-one (average golfer) | Varies by draw |
| Type 5 | 5 numbers | 1 in 1,5496× more likely than the chance of having identical twins | Varies by draw |
| Type 4 | 4 numbers | 1 in 1896× more likely than the chance of flipping heads 5 times in a row | Varies by draw |
| Type 3 | 3 numbers | 1 in 26about as likely as flipping heads 5 times in a row | Varies by draw |
| Type 2 | 2 numbers | 1 in 172× more likely than flipping heads 5 times in a row | Varies by draw |
How the maths works
Lottery odds come from combinatorics — counting how many ways you can choose a subset of numbers from a pool. The formula is:
C(n, r) = n! / (r! × (n − r)!)
where n = pool size, r = numbers to choose
For Keno, you pick 20 numbers from 1–70 (a pool of 70 numbers):
Each ticket covers exactly one combination, so your jackpot odds are 1 in 161,884,603,662,657,876 — which matches the official published odds of 1 in 2,147,181.
Does buying more tickets help?
Yes — but the improvement is smaller than you might think. Each ticket adds one independent combination to your entry. With n tickets, your jackpot odds become n in 2,147,181:
| Tickets | Jackpot odds | Approximate cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 in 2,147,181 | ~$2 USD |
| 5 | 1 in 429,436 | ~$10 USD |
| 10 | 1 in 214,718 | ~$20 USD |
| 50 | 1 in 42,944 | ~$100 USD |
| 100 | 1 in 21,472 | ~$200 USD |
Frequently asked questions
- What are the odds of winning the Keno jackpot?
- The odds of winning the Keno jackpot are 1 in 2,147,181. That means for every ticket you buy, you have a 1 in 2,147,181 chance of matching all numbers correctly.
- How are Keno odds calculated?
- Keno odds are calculated using combinatorics — specifically the combination formula C(n,r) = n! / (r! × (n-r)!). You pick 20 numbers from 1–70, giving C(70,20) = 161,884,603,662,657,876 combinations. The total is 161,884,603,662,657,876 possible outcomes.
- Does buying more Keno tickets improve my odds?
- Yes — each additional ticket gives you one extra combination. If the jackpot odds are 1 in 2,147,181 and you buy 10 tickets, your odds become roughly 10 in 2,147,181, or 1 in 214,718. That said, even 10 tickets still leaves you with an astronomically small chance of winning the jackpot.
- What are the best numbers to pick for Keno?
- There are no "best" numbers. Every combination has an identical probability of being drawn. Quick picks (random numbers) are statistically equivalent to any hand-picked combination. This generator uses cryptographically strong randomness so your picks are as random as possible.
- What is the overall chance of winning any prize in Keno?
- The overall odds of winning any prize in Keno are approximately 1 in 17, which accounts for the lowest prize tier. Most prizes are small fixed amounts rather than the jackpot.
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