The History of Keno

Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

Keno was introduced in two hundred BC by the Chinese military leader, Cheung Leung who utilized keno as a finance resource for his failing forces. The metropolis of Cheung was at war, and after awhile of war time seemed to be looking at a country wide famine with the dramatic decrease in supplies. Cheung Leung needed to create a fast fix for the financial calamity and to acquire income for his army. He thusly invented the game we now know as keno and it was a great success.

Keno was known as the White Pigeon Game, due to the fact that the winning numbers were sent out by pigeons from larger municipalities to the tinier towns. The lottery ‘Keno’ was imported to America in the 1800s by Chinese expatriates who headed to the United States for jobs. In those times, Keno used one hundred and twenty numbers.

Today, Keno is most often bet on with just 80 numbers in most of the US based casinos as well as net casinos. Keno is mainly enjoyed today because of the relaxed nature of betting the game and the basic reality that there are no skills needed to play Keno. Despite the reality that the chances of coming away with a win are appalling, there is always the chance that you will win quite large with little gambling investment.

Keno is enjoyed with 80 numbers and twenty numbers are drawn each game. Gamblers of Keno can select from 2 to ten numbers and gamble on them, whatever amount they are able to. The pay out of Keno is dependent on the wagers made and the matching of numbers.

Keno has grown in popularity in the US since the close of the 19th century when the Chinese letters were replaced with more familiar, US numbers. Lottos were not covered under the legalization of wagering 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 want your horses to come in. When a law passed that levied a tax on off track wagering, Nevada casinos quickly changed the name to ‘Keno’.