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 representative payout chart showing what each match level pays on a $1 bet, alongside the exact odds of landing it.
| Matches (Catch) | Typical 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 — 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 bankroll 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.
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.
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.