Many casinos have Video Keno as an option on their Video Poker machines. Live keno tends to have among the worst house edges in the casino, but how does Video Keno compare?
Are the odds on video keno any better than any other slot machine?
Rusty
Like many things, this can depend on the casino. Payouts also change based on the number of spots chosen, so the pay tables can differ by game as well (just like with Video Poker). Fortunately, there’s ways of calculating the payback.
That’s because since the pay tables are publicly displayed, and the odds of marking a certain number of spots can be (and has been) calculated, it can be determined quite easily what the payback percentage is.
For instance, the website The Wizard of Odds has a Keno calculator that, based on what each level pays, can tell you what the percentage payback is over time. I’ve found examples of pay tables that reach down to 85%, which is as low as slots often can pay, so it certainly can be the case that Keno isn’t any better.
But there’s also other examples where Keno could pay better for sure, so it can depend on what a casino opts to set their pay tables at.
With a lot of slots fans, it’s not entirely surprising that in a poll of visitors to Brian Christopher’s YouTube channel, only about 30 percent love it or play it occasionally. But it helps to know that information about odds and payback is out there if you’re new to the game.
One thing to keep in mind with a Keno calculator is that a basic calculator won’t work for those scenarios where the games offer bonus rounds or multipliers. You may be able to find a game-specific calculator for those scenarios. But to offer multipliers and bonuses you’ll often see a lower base game table to account for this, just like slots who have to make room for bonuses.
But we encourage players to check the pay tables and look them up if they’re not sure, as it can help determine whether it’s a good gamble or not!
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