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Brief History of the Keno Online
History of the Game
The History of the game in North America started with the Chinese immigrants who worked on the railroads. As part of their customs and individuality, they brought the game over to keep themselves entertained and to carry on some of their Chinese traditions. At first, the game was illegal because of the anti-gambling laws; still, it was very popular among the Chinese immigrants, where it was known as Chinese lottery.
Unlike other casino games, the history of Keno can be traced with a fair degree of accuracy. While there are some details that are in dispute, it is certain that the game originated in China, almost 3,000 years ago.
According to some accounts, it was during the Han Dynasty (202. B.C.-220 A.D.) that the history of Keno began. Cheung Leung, the ruler of a powerful province, had a vexing problem: he was in the midst of a great war, and it was beginning to take its toll on the treasury.
Fearing a revolt from his own people if he imposed any more taxes, Leung devised a game that would help finance his war, without alienating the people. The game, which would become modern Keno, was derived from a poem by Zhou Xingsi called The Thousand Character Classic.
Its rules were similar to Keno; from the thousand characters in the poem, 120 were chosen, and grouped into different categories. The objective was to determine the characters correctly in a group.
The winner would be given ten taels, the Chinese currency at the time. The game not only solved the financial problems regarding the war, but it proved very popular that soon, it was being played in every major city. It was dubbed the "Game of the White Pigeon" as the results were delivered by a pigeon or dove.
The history of Keno in the United States began in the 19th century as immigrants brought the game with them. In time, the 120 Chinese characters were replaced by Arab figures, and eventually turned into 80 numbers.
When the country legalized most types of gambling in 1931 though still not lotteries, the name was simply changed to 'horse race keno', suggesting that the numbers were horses and you were betting on the one that would come in. The game's association with horse racing earned it the name 'racing game', which is still largely used among the operators today. A few years later, the American government decided to tax off-track betting, so the name was changed once again to offer a better profit. And that's how the game got its name
Keno was warmly embraced, particularly by those living in Los Angeles and San Francisco where it thrived in the underground. By the 1930s most gambling games were legalized, except for lottery. Because of this, Keno was rechristened Race Horse Keno, and remnants of this tradition are evidenced by the fact that a Keno game is still called a race.
Eventually, lotteries were also legalized and the name was shortened to just Keno, and it soon spread to all parts of the United States. The next important stage in the history of Keno was the development of electronic machines, automating the process and eliminating any possibility of cheating.
In its history, Keno had undergone several changes, but the basic concept and the excitement that was felt three thousand years ago, still remains today. With the continuing improvement in technology, Keno is sure to reach out to more people in the years to come.
