Keno’s History
Keno was introduced in 200 before Christ by the Chinese military leader, Cheung Leung who used keno as a monetary resource for his declining army. The city of Cheung was at war, and after a bit of war time seemed to be looking at a national famine with the drastic decrease in supplies. Cheung Leung had to come up with a quick fix for the economic calamity and to produce money for his forces. He thusly developed the game we know today as keno and it was a wonderful success.
Keno used to be referred to as the White Pigeon Game, due to the fact that the winning numbers were broadcast by pigeons from larger locations to the lesser towns. The lotto ‘Keno’ was brought to America in the 19th century by Chinese migrants who migrated to the States to jobs. In those times, Keno was played with one hundred and twenty numbers.
Today, Keno is generally wagered on with just 80 numbers in almost all of American based casinos along with internet casinos. Keno is largely enjoyed today as a result of the laid back nature of playing the game and the basic reality that there are little skills needed to enjoy Keno. Despite the reality that the odds of getting a win are horrible, there is always the hope that you will win quite large with a tiny gaming investment.
Keno is enjoyed with eighty numbers with 20 numbers selected each game. Gamblers of Keno can select from two to 10 numbers and wager on them, whatever amount they are able to. The payout of Keno is dependent on the wagers made and the roll out of matching numbers.
Keno grew in universal appeal in the US near the end of the 1800’s when the Chinese characters were changed with more familiar, American numbers. Lotteries weren’t covered under the laws of gambling in the state of Nevada in Nineteen Thirty One. The casinos altered the name of the ‘Chinese lotto’ to ‘horse race keno’ employing the idea that the numbers are horses and you are looking for your horses to come in. When a law passed that levied a tax on off track gambling, casinos quickly altered the name to ‘Keno’.
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