DC Keno is run by the Office of Lottery and Gaming (DC Lottery), the lottery authority for the District of Columbia. It follows the standard lottery keno format: pick 1–10 spots from numbers 1–80, and 20 numbers are drawn every 4 minutes throughout the day.
DC Keno is available at licensed retailers throughout the District: convenience stores, gas stations, restaurants, and bars with lottery licenses. Despite DC's relatively small geographic footprint, there are licensed keno locations throughout all eight wards of the city.
Pick 1–10 numbers from 1–80 at any DC Lottery authorized retailer. Place your bet ($1 minimum). Every 4 minutes, 20 winning numbers are drawn. Your prize depends on how many of your picks match the drawn numbers, based on the paytable for your chosen spot count.
Payouts below are for a $1 bet. Higher wagers multiply all payouts proportionally.
DC Keno is available at licensed DC Lottery retailers throughout all eight wards of Washington DC, including:
Major commercial corridors in neighborhoods like Columbia Heights, H Street NE, Capitol Hill, and Anacostia typically have multiple keno-enabled retailers within walking distance. The DC Lottery website provides a retailer finder tool to locate the nearest licensed location.
If you live in the DMV area, you may have access to keno from three different lottery jurisdictions: DC Lottery Keno, Maryland Lottery Keno, and (if Virginia offers it near you) Virginia keno. The games are structurally similar (all use 80 numbers with 20 drawn), but paytables differ. Compare before you play.
DC Keno has an approximate house edge of 25–30%, consistent with other state lottery keno games. For every $100 wagered over time, players can expect to receive back approximately $70–75 in prizes on average. The exact return varies by spot count.
At 15 draws per hour, even $1 bets total $15/hour. Higher wagers escalate quickly. Decide your session budget before you start and stick to it.
Different spot counts have dramatically different win frequencies and prize sizes. Use our calculator to understand the tradeoffs before committing to a spot count for your session.
Unlike Michigan's Club Keno, DC Keno requires in-person purchases at authorized retailers. Plan your session location in advance and verify the retailer is displaying the current draw.
Calculate exact probability for any spot count. Works for DC keno and any keno game.
Calculate OddsEnter your bet to see expected payouts and compare paytables.
Calculate PayoutsKeno pays the same by spot count wherever you play. See exactly what each match is worth, then check it against the Washington DC game above.
New to spot counts? Start with the 5 spot keno payout chart for balanced play, or the 8 spot keno payout chart for bigger jackpots, then compare every option in the spot count comparison tool.
Save your numbers
Want to track your numbers?
Save them once and we’ll check them against every draw for you.