The History of Keno
The history of Keno is full of speculation and legend as well as documented evidence of the original game we play today. It has evolved from a Chinese learning aid for children to a game played on the current day iPhone or other mobile device.
It is believed that the game may date back as far as 200 B.C. and was known as the “Chinese Lottery”. It is speculated that the Chinese general, Chung Leung, invented the game of chance to raise funds for food and supplies for the army during war times. Some Chinese scholars referred to this form of lottery as “idiot taxes”, however over the long term, may have also funded the construction of the Great Wall of China.
The original game was derived from a simple nursery rhyme used as a teaching aid for children. It used the first 120 characters of the Thousand Character Classic to create a betting game. These 120 characters were also subdivided into eight more minor categories. The player would pick a set of characters and twice a day, the emperor would draw random combinations. If the gambler lost one minor category they would lose three more bets, but if they won one, they would win ten more bets.
When the Chinese lottery was fully documented during the mid-nineteenth century, usually 80 of the characters were used, and the results of the keno games were sent to outlying villages by carrier pigeons, resulting in its Chinese name literally translated to “white dove ticket”.
When the Chinese immigrated during the gold rush to California, their Chinese Lottery game soon caught the attention of gaming businesses. Although lotteries were illegal during this time, horse races were still considered legal. So the game was renamed “Horse Race Keno”. The casino operators changed the characters to numbers, reduced now to 20, and each number was assigned to a specific horse. All the gambler needed to do was choose the winning “horse” in order to win. You will still hear today the term “keno races”.
The original word “spot” came from the first games played in China and referred to the way the tickets were marked. They used ink and a brush to mark the characters (which made them indelible) that were chosen by the player. This traditional fashion has been replaced with punching holes in the ticket as well as computer generated copies.
In the early 1960’s, the government considered horse tracking betting taxable which included the profits from Horse Race Keno. At this time the Nevada casinos removed the horse race reference and simply used the name “Keno”. While the game today is played in most Casinos, you will also find it on the internet, mobile devices and even the iPhone (Difference between Casino Keno and iPhone Keno) It has evolved to include graphics during play, the opportunity to win “bonuses”, as well as subtle changes to make the game more appealing to a broader audience.
We offer a variety of free keno games for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. We've even brought the most popular Keno game to the desktop running Mac OS X. Download one of the world's most popular games today for free from the App store or Mac App Store.
It is believed that the game may date back as far as 200 B.C. and was known as the “Chinese Lottery”. It is speculated that the Chinese general, Chung Leung, invented the game of chance to raise funds for food and supplies for the army during war times. Some Chinese scholars referred to this form of lottery as “idiot taxes”, however over the long term, may have also funded the construction of the Great Wall of China.
The original game was derived from a simple nursery rhyme used as a teaching aid for children. It used the first 120 characters of the Thousand Character Classic to create a betting game. These 120 characters were also subdivided into eight more minor categories. The player would pick a set of characters and twice a day, the emperor would draw random combinations. If the gambler lost one minor category they would lose three more bets, but if they won one, they would win ten more bets.
When the Chinese lottery was fully documented during the mid-nineteenth century, usually 80 of the characters were used, and the results of the keno games were sent to outlying villages by carrier pigeons, resulting in its Chinese name literally translated to “white dove ticket”.
When the Chinese immigrated during the gold rush to California, their Chinese Lottery game soon caught the attention of gaming businesses. Although lotteries were illegal during this time, horse races were still considered legal. So the game was renamed “Horse Race Keno”. The casino operators changed the characters to numbers, reduced now to 20, and each number was assigned to a specific horse. All the gambler needed to do was choose the winning “horse” in order to win. You will still hear today the term “keno races”.
The original word “spot” came from the first games played in China and referred to the way the tickets were marked. They used ink and a brush to mark the characters (which made them indelible) that were chosen by the player. This traditional fashion has been replaced with punching holes in the ticket as well as computer generated copies.
In the early 1960’s, the government considered horse tracking betting taxable which included the profits from Horse Race Keno. At this time the Nevada casinos removed the horse race reference and simply used the name “Keno”. While the game today is played in most Casinos, you will also find it on the internet, mobile devices and even the iPhone (Difference between Casino Keno and iPhone Keno) It has evolved to include graphics during play, the opportunity to win “bonuses”, as well as subtle changes to make the game more appealing to a broader audience.
We offer a variety of free keno games for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. We've even brought the most popular Keno game to the desktop running Mac OS X. Download one of the world's most popular games today for free from the App store or Mac App Store.
More iOS Keno Resources:Learn more about the game of Keno.
Learn How To Play Keno Tap on iOS Devices Learn How To Play Keno Gold on an iOS Device Learn about the difference between iPhone Keno and Casino Keno. Enjoy Game Center In Our Keno Apps
Apple's Game Center provides added fun in our free iOS Keno Apps. You'll enjoy competing with the rest of the world and making your way to the top of the high score leaderboards. Plus, some of our keno games allow you to track how many "Big Wins" you get as well.
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