Keno was introduced in 200 BC by the Chinese military commander, Cheung Leung who utilized keno as a financial resource for his declining forces. The metropolis of Cheung was waging a battle, and after some time appeared to be facing country wide famine with the dramatic decrease in supplies. Cheung Leung needed to create a quick response for the economic disaster and to produce income for his army. He thusly developed the game we now know as keno and it was a great success.
Keno once was known as the White Pigeon Game, since the winning numbers were sent out by pigeons from larger municipalities to the lesser towns. The lottery ‘Keno’ was imported to America in the 19th century by Chinese expatriates who migrated to the States for jobs. In those times, Keno used 120 numbers.
Today, Keno is most often gambled on with 80 numbers in a majority of the US brick and mortar casinos along with online casinos. Keno is largely played today because of the laid back nature of betting the game and the basic reality that there are little skills needed to enjoy Keno. Regardless of the fact that the odds of succeeding are appalling, there is always the possibility that you will hit quite large with a tiny gaming investment.
Keno is played with 80 numbers and 20 numbers are drawn each round. Players of Keno can choose from 2 to 10 numbers and gamble on them, as much or as little as they want to. The pay out of Keno is dependent on the wagers made and the roll out of matching numbers.
Keno grew in popularity in the United States near the close of the 1800’s when the Chinese characters were replaced with , American numbers. Lottos were not covered under the legalization of gaming in the state of Nevada in 1931. The casinos renamed the ‘Chinese lottery’ to ‘horse race keno’ employing the idea that the numbers are horses and you are wanting your horses to place. When the Nevada government passed a law that levied a tax on off track gambling, the casinos quickly altered the name to ‘Keno’.
