Keno is one of the oldest gambling games in the world and has existed for thousands of years. According to most accounts a game very similar to Keno was invented in roughly 200 BC by Cheung Leung, leader of the Han Dynasty. At the time Cheung's city was involved in a long, difficult war which had lasted several years. As a result, Cheung was beginning to run out of supplies. Cheung created a game that would produce money for his army and avoid the possibility of taxing his citizens further. This game, a numbers game not unlike Keno, was based on a poem of the day “The Thousand Character Classic”, which taught people how to count. Trust me; if they could learn how to play, you can too! The game became very popular and helped to save the city. Thereafter, the game spread throughout China and was also used to help fund the building of the Great Wall.
After many years Chinese immigrants made their way to the American West to help in the construction of the railroad – they also brought Keno with them to the USA, where it eventually became known as the “Chinese Lottery”. Keno might not help you to finance a “Great Wall” these days, but you could change your life if you win big!