Keno is a fun lottery type game that has its roots in ancient China. This simple game has come a long way since its humble beginnings and this has become a popular attraction at the best online casinos.
Where it all started …
The game of Keno is believed to have been initiated over a thousand years ago by a man name Cheung Leung. This pursuit was created in an attempt to raise money from his disillusioned people. The survival of Leung’s city was at stake and becoming desperate, he invented this lottery game based on luck in an attempt to obtain the necessary funds for his struggling army.
The original game itself consisted of 120 Chinese characters that were part of an ancient poem. The players would select characters and then place bets accordingly. The game proved to be successful and the story goes that Leung managed to save the city in this way with the help of Keno. In addition, it is commonly believed that the construction of the Great Wall of China was achieved with funds raised from this game.
Keno in the U.S.
The Keno game made its way to the U.S. via Chinese immigrants in the 1800s. These immigrants arrived in order to work on the railways and they brought with them this popular lottery game. In its original form, players probably chose characters according to their meaning. Once in the U.S., so that the game of Keno would have a wider general appeal and so that people who did not speak Chinese would also be able to play, the original Chinese characters were replaced by numbers.
Keno showed its face in U.S. casinos in the 1930s. Due to governmental regulations, there was no legal place for lotteries within the casinos at this time. In order to find a way around this obstacle, the game became known as ‘Horse Race Keno’. Following this, the next challenge was overcome when the game’s name was changed once again to ‘Keno’ as taxes were placed on off-track races. The Keno game demonstrated its attraction and durability as it continued to maintain its place within the casino over the years.
Online Keno
Today, Keno is also featured at the best online casinos. In the modern version of Keno, the game is played with eighty numbers. A player may select between one and twenty numbers out of the eighty possible options.
This game of chance is an easy game to learn and fun to play. The game of Keno is a bit like playing a lottery, but here there is no need to wait for days for the winning numbers to be revealed. For those who wish, it is possible to try out free games of online Keno first at many best online casino sites. In this way, players may play for pure fun or alternatively, one may adjust to the online way of playing before placing money on the table.
Online Keno is a real case of mixing the old with the new: the ancient Chinese legendary game with the modern technology of the online casino.
