Keno was created in two hundred BC by the Chinese army commander, Cheung Leung who used keno as a monetary resource for his failing army. The city of Cheung was at war, and after a bit of war time seemed to be facing national famine with the excessive drop in supplies. Cheung Leung had to create a rapid response for the financial calamity and to create revenue for his forces. He therefore designed the game we know today as keno and it was a great success.
Keno was referred to as the White Pigeon Game, due to the fact that the winning numbers were sent out by pigeons from bigger cities to the lesser towns. The lotto ‘Keno’ was imported to America in the 19th century by Chinese migrants who came to the States to jobs. In those times, Keno used 120 numbers.
Today, Keno is regularly bet on with just 80 numbers in most of American brick and mortar casinos as well as net casinos. Keno is mainly loved today because of the laid back nature of gambling the game and the simple fact that there are little skills required to enjoy Keno. Despite the fact that the odds of getting a win are terrible, there is always the chance that you might hit quite big with little gaming investment.
Keno is enjoyed with eighty numbers and twenty numbers are drawn each round. Players of Keno can pick from two to ten numbers and bet on them, whatever amount they want to. The pay out of Keno is according to the wagers made and the matching of numbers.
Keno has grown in acceptance in the US since the close of the 1800’s when the Chinese letters were changed with more familiar, US numbers. Lottos were not covered under the laws of gaming in Nevada State in 1931. The casinos altered the name of the ‘Chinese lotto’ to ‘horse race keno’ utilizing the concept that the numbers are horses and you are looking for your horses to come in. When the Nevada government passed a law that taxed off track wagering, the casinos quickly changed the name to ‘Keno’.