4 Spot Keno Payout Chart
Four-spot keno is the casual player's favorite for one reason: it hits. The top prize lands about once every 326 games, and you win something on roughly 1 in 4 tickets. Below is a payout chart showing what each match level pays on a $1 bet, alongside the exact odds of landing it.
Playing a state lottery? Your prizes are different
The chart on this page is the representative 4 spot paytable. Real lottery prizes vary by a lot between states, so if you are playing a specific game, start with its own chart:
| Matches (Catch) | Payout ($1 bet) | Probability | Odds of This Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 of 4 | $0 | 30.832% | 1 in 3.2 |
| 1 of 4 | $0 | 43.273% | 1 in 2.3 |
| 2 of 4 | $1 | 21.264% | 1 in 4.7 |
| 3 of 4 | $4 | 4.325% | 1 in 23.1 |
| 4 of 4 (jackpot) | $100 | 0.306% | 1 in 326 |
Payouts are representative of common paytables and are quoted as total return on a $1 wager. Your local casino or lottery paytable is the final word, so always check it.
4 Spot Keno Odds Table
These probabilities are fixed by the game: 20 numbers drawn from 80, you holding 4. No betting system changes them. Here's the probability of every outcome:
| Outcome | Probability | Odds (1 in X) |
|---|---|---|
| Hit 0 of 4 | 30.832% | 1 in 3.2 |
| Hit 1 of 4 | 43.273% | 1 in 2.3 |
| Hit 2 of 4 | 21.264% | 1 in 4.7 |
| Hit 3 of 4 | 4.325% | 1 in 23.1 |
| Hit 4 of 4 | 0.306% | 1 in 326 |
The probability that pays: 2 or more
On most 4-spot paytables you start winning at 2 matches. The chance of catching 2, 3, or 4 is about 25.9%, better than 1 winning ticket in every 4. That high hit rate is the whole appeal of 4-spot.
Why 4-Spot is Popular with Casual Players
Higher spot counts dangle bigger jackpots, but they pay rarely and can feel like throwing money away. Four-spot is built differently, and casual players gravitate to it because:
- It wins often. Roughly a quarter of tickets pay something. Frequent small wins keep a session fun and stretch a budget.
- The jackpot is reachable. At 1 in 326, catching all 4 is something a regular player can realistically experience, unlike a 1-in-8.9-million 10-spot jackpot.
- Low variance. Your budget erodes slowly and steadily instead of in big swings, so $20 lasts a lot longer.
- Simple to read. Only five outcomes (0–4 matches) makes the paytable easy to understand at a glance.
If you're playing for entertainment time rather than a life-changing prize, 4-spot is the most forgiving spot count on the board.
Ohio 4-Spot Keno Payout
Ohio's KENO! game uses its own paytable, and it pays differently from a generic casino. Here's the Ohio 4-spot payout on a $1 bet, side by side with a typical casino sheet:
| Matches | Ohio KENO! ($1) | Typical Casino ($1) | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 of 4 | $1 | $1 | 1 in 4.7 |
| 3 of 4 | $5 | $4 | 1 in 23.1 |
| 4 of 4 | $72 | $100 | 1 in 326 |
Ohio pays a little more for 3 matches ($5 vs $4) but notably less for the jackpot ($72 vs $100). The net effect is a lower overall return: Ohio's 4-spot returns about 64.9% versus roughly 69.2% on the generic casino sheet. For a deeper state-by-state breakdown, see the Ohio keno guide.
How 4-Spot Keno Payouts Vary by State
Four-spot top prizes vary widely by state, from $50 to $100 on a $1 bet. Here is how catching all 4 (and 4 of the smaller 3-catch prize) compares.
| State / Game | Catch 4 (top prize, $1) | Catch 3 ($1) |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $100 | $4 |
| Ohio | $72 | $5 |
| California Hot Spot | $78 | $4 |
| New York | $55 | $5 |
| Pennsylvania | $100 | $3 |
| Maryland | $50 | $5 |
| Georgia | $70 | $5 |
| Connecticut | $100 | $3 |
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut pay the biggest 4-spot jackpot at $100, double Maryland’s $50. Compare the full sheets in the Massachusetts keno guide, Maryland keno guide, or Ohio keno guide. These are official base-game prizes on a $1 wager; optional multiplier and bonus add-ons are excluded.
Expected Return: The Math, Shown
Expected value (EV) is every payout times its probability, summed. For the representative casino paytable on a $1 bet:
| Matches k | Probability P(k) | Payout | P(k) × Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0.21264 | $1 | $0.2126 |
| 3 | 0.04325 | $4 | $0.1730 |
| 4 | 0.00306 | $100 | $0.3063 |
| Total Expected Return per $1 bet | $0.692 | ||
| Return to Player (RTP) | 69.2% · House edge 30.8% | ||
Unlike high-spot games where the jackpot dominates, 4-spot's return is spread fairly evenly across the 2, 3, and 4-catch prizes, which is exactly why it pays so consistently.
How 4-Spot Compares to Other Spot Counts
| Spots | Odds (Hit All) | Typical Top Payout ($1) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 spot | 1 in 326 | $100 | Frequent small wins |
| 5 spot | 1 in 1,551 | $810 | Balanced play |
| 6 spot | 1 in 7,753 | $1,600 | Most popular |
| 10 spot | 1 in 8,911,711 | $100,000 | Jackpot chasing |
Want to model any spot count head-to-head? Use the spot count comparison tool to see variance, hit frequency, and jackpot odds side by side.
Run your own 4-spot numbers
Open the keno odds calculator pre-filled for 4 spots to see the exact probability and "1 in X" for every match level, with the hypergeometric formula on screen.
Know the odds but not the money? Calculate your expected payout for a 4-spot ticket against your state's real paytable, at any bet size, with the return-to-player worked out for you.
Frequently Asked
On a typical $1 bet, 4 spot keno pays around $1 for 2 matches, $4 for 3 matches, and $100 for hitting all 4. Amounts vary by casino and state. For example, Ohio's KENO! pays $5 for 3 matches and $72 for all 4.
The odds of hitting all 4 numbers in 4 spot keno are 1 in 326 (about 0.306%). That makes the top prize far more reachable than in higher-spot games, which is why 4 spot is popular with casual players.