History of Keno

Keno is one of the oldest casino games ever invented. This very popular game is said to have originally been played some 3,000 years ago. The pure simplicity of the game is possibly why it is enjoyed by millions of keno players on a daily basis.

Around three thousand years ago A Chinese ruler named Cheung Leung needed to raise funds to make improvements to the city. He could not ask his subjects to pay extra taxes and so invented a way to gather funds with a lottery-based game and keno was born. This very simple idea became quite popular with the residents of the city and spread across the whole country.

Keno was played back then in much the same way it is today. Players would choose characters from a popular poem called “The Thousand Character Classic.”
They would mark their small pieces of white paper with a selection from the characters available. They would then be drawn and the winner would take the prize. Keno then began to travel the world and finally reached America and was played as a lottery-based game.

It arrived in Nevada in 1931 when lotteries were illegal, but keno operators found a way around this by changing the name to racehorse keno. Each game was treated as a race even though it had nothing to do with racing. The laws then changed and the name reverted back to keno and as more people played, its popularity grew.

Since those days, and as keno players grew in vast numbers, the game would be seen in every casino in the United States. It was also being played all over Europe and most other parts of the world. Keno is now one of the most-played games in any land-based casino and the relaxing atmosphere of the keno lounges makes it a game like no other.

Keno can be likened to bingo as the way the game is played is quite similar. The main difference is that bingo players are trying for the same prize. Keno players can win the same jackpot prize amount even if there are numerous winners which makes for a better game. Bingo players also have to concentrate on marking their own cards, but with keno today it is computer based and it is done
for you.
With the introduction of the internet and online gambling sites keno is reaching new heights of popularity. No longer do you have to travel to your local casino. You can now enjoy this fast paced and very exciting game at home. Keno can be enjoyed by anyone who owns a computer and a credit card. The way keno is played online is exactly identical to any other casino in the world. It is quick and very easy to get yourself started and within just a few minutes you can be playing your very own keno game. It really has come a long way since the days of Cheung Leung and his simple idea, which has grown into an online phenomenon.