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Winning and losing at Keno: Is Keno a Good Bet?

Keno is a very popular game; it's quick to learn, and the promise of big jackpots is an irresistible lure to many players. But is it a good bet? Most experts agree that it is not.

The house edge on most Keno games can be as high as 20-30%, which is roughly the equivalent to side bets many casinos offer (another gamble the experts recommend against). By comparison, Roulette has a house edge between 2% and 5%; Blackjack has a 3-5% house edge; and Craps has between 1% and 6% (although Hardways can go as high as 16%).

A seven-figure jackpot is tempting, but to win it you must select 15 numbers. By taking a look at Keno odds you can see that your chances of matching 15 numbers are 1 in 428,000,000,000! Odds for many state lotteries are roughly 1 in 15,000,000, and their payouts are usually eight figures.

In spite of the odds, people love Keno, and since it has been around for over 2,000 years it's likely it will stay around a little bit longer.