How Keno Came to America
Keno is believed to have originated from China, where it was known as the "Game of the White Pigeon." During those times in ancient China, the game was a form of lottery wherein a player has to correctly guess a subdivision of eight characters out of 120 in order to win. Modern-day keno now has 80 numbers or spots, where you have to choose up to 15 numbers.
While keno was popular in China, the game did not arrive in America until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. California was the hotbed of immigrants in search of instant wealth from the Gold Rush. Some of these immigrants were Chinese laborers who helped build the North American railroads and also introduced keno.
From California, keno spread to other parts of the United States, particularly to Nevada where gambling was legalized in the 1930s. Although most forms of gambling were legal in Nevada at that time, lotteries were not. Since keno was considered a form of lottery, the casinos called the game "horse race keno" to circumvent the law. Keno became a form of fictional horse race and the numbers were represented by fictional horses.
It wasn't until lotteries became legal and the government began taxing proceeds from horse races that Nevada casinos dropped the words "horse race" and simply called the game "keno." To this day, keno is often called the "races" and players are said to be "off to the races" when they play keno.
The original game of keno was fairly simple to start with. Numbers were written on small pieces of paper which were placed in cardboard tubes. Twenty numbers out of a total of eighty were then drawn from the tubes. The paper lots were soon replaced by wooden balls known as "peas" and then later on by plastic "ping-pong" balls.
The numbers that you choose to play in a keno ticket are called the "spots." So if you play eight spots on a $5 ticket, then you are playing a $5 eight-spot ticket. The marked numbers are called "spots" because ink was used to mark the tickets in the original Chinese lottery game. There are still some casinos that mark keno tickets using India ink, although punching holes on tickets are now common practice. Most casinos will supply you with markers or keno crayons to help you in this process.
Unlike other conventional casino games, keno is not played in the same place as slots, roulette, poker and the like. A special section of the casino, usually called a keno lounge, is where casino games are played. Keno players can eat, drink and socialize while playing the game in a relaxed and comfortable environment. There are casino employees known as keno runners who will collect your tickets and cash your winnings so that you don't have to go to the cashier every time you place a bet.
Since keno draws start and end rather quickly, sometimes in about five minutes, it's important to be attentive and alert on the results so that you don't miss a potential payday. You can also play a multi-draw ticket so that you can play the same set of numbers over and over again.
Keno has really gone a long way from its ancient origins to its present status as a popular casino attraction. But it's not only casinos and casino patrons that benefit from this game. Governments and charitable institutions have also established keno lotteries to raise funds. This goes to show that keno is not only a game for gamblers, but also for people of all walks of life.