The exact pay schedule employed at keno is rather complex and differs from casino to casino. Each casino's policy is detailed in a brochure that can be found in the keno lounge and wherever else blank keno tickets are available. There are three factors that determine the amount of money a winning ticket receives: the number of spots the player played on the ticket, the number of those spots that came up on the drawing, and the amount wagered on the ticket. Every possible payoff based on these three elements is listed in the brochure. Since the player may mark anywhere from one to fifteen spots, catch any number of them, and wager three or four different amounts on the ticket, the pay schedule is a pretty complex affair. The only practical way to present this information is in the form of the printed charts that appear in the brochure. The brochure contains fifteen charts in all, one for each type of card, from a one-spot ticket to a fifteen-spot ticket. The player consults the particular chart for the number of spots he played and checks along the top of the chart for the column that relates to his size bet.
Then he looks down the side of the chart for the number of spots he caught. The point at which the correct column and row meet gives him the amount he won. For example, the brochure I have in front of me right now is from a major Strip casino. It lists the following payoffs for a six-spot ticket:
You will note that most of the three-catch payoffs consist of winning back the exact cost of the ticket. In some casinos, these payoffs will say "free play." Instead of returning your money, the casino will allow you to play another ticket of the same price at no cost.
