Video Keno machines are also available. Like video poker machines, video Keno machines are essentially a special version of a slot machine. Payoffs on video Keno will vary considerably, even within the same casino. Like other slot machine varieties, video Keno machines will be sure to win more for the house than for the players. (More precisely, there are no video Keno machines with a positive edge for a player.) But, and this is an important “but,” – video Keno machines almost always have a better win rate than traditional Keno!

Another benefit of Video Keno over traditional, or “live” Keno is the speed of play. A player can insert money (or swipe a player card) and pick numbers much more quickly (or slowly, for that matter) than the measured pace of traditional Keno.

Unlike video poker, in which players must make decisions of some sort, video Keno offers no way to overcome or even reduce the house advantage by altering a playing strategy or varying betting.

The way to determine the win rate for a given machine is to calculate the payoff schedule just the way it was suggested above for the “pick 7” ticket in a traditional Keno game. The best solution for most people is to use spreadsheet software. Remember, the average edge for traditional Keno is somewhere over -20%, and precise calculations will differ for the various “pick” combinations. The following table gives a rough idea of what the edge of video Keno can be expected to be, according to the number of picks made. The point is that the edge is fairly stable across the numbers picked (and less variable than in the case of traditional Keno). The caution, of course, that each machine is capable of having a different personality according to the posted payoff schedule, and therefore should be analyzed separately if precision is required.