Tracking the history of any game is a very difficult task to do. The reason for this, as most game historians know, is that while there are many different nations, languages and cultures on this planet, human beings tend to think startlingly similarly to each other and for that reason can simultaneously develop games at the same time independently in two different sections of the world. The history of keno therefore is a tangled web that has very few certainties. There is however a majority opinion of the history of keno and this is the history that is presented below.
The Word
Even though the word keno has been associated with the Far East and in particular the nation of China and the Chinese language, the truth of the matter is that the word keno has its roots in the romance languages that came out of the Roman Empire rather than the tonal languages that are common within the Orient. The word keno comes from the French word quine, which stands for “five winning numbers.” The word can also be traced back to the Latin word quini, which essentially means the same thing. Therefore, the word keno has its roots deeply embedded in Europe, even if the game’s invention took place elsewhere.
First Sighting
Looking over the annals of history, the first sighting of the game of keno was without a doubt in China. Specifically, the first playing of keno as far as historians know took place between 205 BC and 187 BC during the years of the Han Dynasty within the Chinese state. This makes the roots of the word particularly perplexing, since there are no accounts of the game having been played in Europe until much later.
Legend Status
According to a number of old Chinese texts, the invention of keno directly resulted in the saving of a city when that city was about to succumb to an advancing army during a period of war in the country of China. From that rather legendary birth, keno was then spread throughout the Chinese lands and gained enough popularity that a large amount of the funding for construction of the Great Wall of China came from keno proceeds. Some historians even believe that keno was an event of such great importance that it was run like a modern lottery, with results being sent out to the whole kingdom by horse as opposed to television or any other modern electronic device.
Modern Introduction
The accounts of the first sighting and the legendary status of the game of keno are not without their challengers, but for the most part they appear to be accepted by the historical community. One fact that is undisputed however is that the game was introduced to the United States in the 1800s when Chinese immigrants came over to the American continent in order to construct the railroad that went from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Keno was introduced at that time, was picked up by casinos and would eventually become a staple part of the gambling scene in the country.
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