The origins – Keno reveals its unusual history: here is its incredible story

Originating in China, Keno is a casino game that was invented by a king named Leung to finance his country’s armies to protect his crown. Over time, Keno has spread throughout the world and is now a must-have game in every respect. Our guide takes a closer look at the history of this great game!

In the heart of the Middle Kingdom: This is how Keno came into being long ago…

Keno table

Surprising as it may seem, Keno originated in China over 3,000 years ago. Cheung Leung, the emperor of the Hans dynasty, invented this game to finance his army and keep his crown alive. Indeed, the city he ruled was then under siege, and the lack of money was strongly felt. Rather than taxing the inhabitants directly, Cheung Leung had the idea of inventing this game and using his power of foreclosure. Legend has it that the funds raised from Keno helped finance the construction of the famous and prestigious Great Wall of China.

However, the Keno of that time was different from the version we know today. In those days, Chinese symbols replaced the numbers on which you had to place your bet. The game grid was made up of 120 characters, divided into subdivisions of 8. The player who managed to guess a whole subdivision, or a combination, won the game. The chances of winning were, therefore, much lower than in the current version.

The westernization of Keno: its passage from the East to the Americas did not go unnoticed

Numerous sources report that Keno arrived in Canada as a result of the immigration of the first Chinese immigrant workers in the 19th century, who exported the game to Canada while laying the tracks for the future railroad. At the time, the locals referred to the game as the “Chinese lottery”. To accommodate this new audience, Keno evolved greatly. Numbers replaced the Chinese symbols, and the grids were reduced to 80 squares, where you had to make predictions on a line to win.

Although very popular, the game took time to establish itself in land-based casinos across the country, as the law at the time prohibited lottery games in these establishments. Boldly, the casino owners disguised the game as a horse race, calling it “Horse Race Keno” and replacing each number with a fictional horse.

Keno today: one of the most popular lottery games in the world is available everywhere

Keno is very popular in Canada today. Keno draws organized by the Française des Jeux (FDJ keno) and gather every week several thousands of players thanks to a foreclosure system. Moreover, since February 24, 2013, it is now possible to get a winning keno result for life. Indeed, if you are lucky enough to mark 10 winning numbers, you can win the modest sum of 100,000 euros each year or choose to cash indirectly for 2 million euros. There are now many variations of the game, some of which are very advantageous to players. In addition to being fast and entertaining, a game generally offers quite high payouts on the web. You can use a multiplier number, a joker, and participate in several draws such as lunch or dinner each week. The wheel will finally turn for you, and you may be one of the winners!