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The Origins of the Game of Keno
Cheung Leung, who was a ruler of the Han Dynasty in approximately 200 BC was said to play a game similar to keno. History suggests that Leung introduced the game as a way of raising revenue for a long drawn-out war that the citizens of his city were refusing to continue to fund. Leung saw the game of keno as a way to raise money for the war without burdening his people.
The Original Version of the Game of Keno
The original version of the game of keno was similar to the keno that is played today in casinos around the world. The game was based on a popular Chinese poem called "The Thousand Character Classic." The poem used 1000 Chinese symbols and was used as a means of teaching the people how to count. The game that Leung created used 120 of those symbols. He divided the 120 symbols into eights sections and the players had to try to guess a section correctly in order to win.
The Development of the Game of Keno
Playing keno became hugely popular in China, so much so that it became known as the "Game of the White Pigeon" as pigeons were used to courier news of the winners from the cities to the outlying villages. Not only did keno finance Leung's war, but it is said to have financed the building of the Great Wall of China. In order to simplify the game for the people, the number of characters used was reduced from 120, down to 90 and then again down to 80.
Keno Comes to America
In the 1800s, keno was brought to San Francisco by Chinese workers who were working on the trans-continental railway line. It was known at that time as Chinese lottery and it was very popular. It was illegal to gamble in America in the 1800s so the people played it underground. Towards the end of the 19th century, the Chinese symbols were exchanged for numbers as the new American players were becoming confused by the Chinese symbols. It then spread among the North American population.
The Journey to Legalize Keno in America
Nevada laws were changed in 1931 to legalize gambling. This did not include lotteries however and keno at that stage was considered a lottery. In order to circumvent the law and make keno legal, keno operators changed the name of the game to "racehorse keno." Each number represented a horse, changing the game from a lottery to one of many casino games. Thus, racehorse keno was legalized. When the government enacted a law that would tax off-track betting, they also made games such as keno legal. The name of the game was changed back to keno with the numbers no longer representing horse, however even to this day keno games are referred to as races.
The Popularity of Keno
Keno continues to be a popular casino game, both in land-based casinos and in online casinos. Online keno is played in a similar fashion to land-based keno except that you can set the casino to check your cards automatically which makes it simpler to play. The game is now enjoyed by players from all over the world.
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