There’s probably no other gambling game with such a rich and long history like Keno. It has gone a very long bath from ancient times to modern day casinos in Las Vegas and online casino sites. You may find some facts even surprising. So read on!

Keno in Ancient Times

An ancient Chinese ruler, Cheung Leung of the Han Dynasty, has invented a game somewhere around 200 BC, which was very similar to Keno. An ancient manuscript tells that Leung’s city was plagued by war for many years, which has led to an economical devastation.

The manuscript states that Leung’s citizens were no longer able to contribute money for funding the war. In order to get the money he needed so bad, Leung created a game quite similar to Keno, which had 120 numbers instead of 80 of the modern Keno. The game became very popular and helped raise the necessary funds. It is also rumored that Keno was used to finance the construction of the Great Chinese Wall.

The story tells that birds were used to deliver the winning combinations from the big cities to smaller villages. Thus, the game of Keno in ancient China was known as the White Pigeon game.

Keno in Modern Times

The large influx of Chinese immigrants in the 19th century has introduced Keno to the United States. At first the game was known as the Chinese lottery, and became very popular amongst Chinese immigrants and residents alike. But, initially the game had problems with perception from the Western players, because it was still using Chinese symbols. When the symbols where changed to the current form of numbers, Keno’s popularity exploded.

With the 1931 gambling legalization in Nevada, it was still illegal to play lotto in casinos. To avoid legal issues, casinos officials have changed the game’s name from «Chinese lottery » to «horse racing keno » But instead of lotto the player was given a choice of horses each having a number. A change to legislation that followed soon, made casinos adopt the game again, turning it to Keno as we know it now.

History of Craps

History of craps is an exciting story that spreads from ancient dice to today’s online free casino games. Craps is probably the oldest gambling game in history of humankind. Seems like dice were around from the beginning of our civilization, with ancient variations of this game being found and dated back to Ancient Egypt, China, and Greece. Craps were played throughout the history, and can be seen anywhere from schoolyards to military facilities.

But where and when did it start from? Like with any other recreational practice, like music or theater, no one really knows where are the roots of gambling in general and dice in particular. The history of craps spreads so far in Ancient times that you can’t really say what civilization has invented the game. And with constant interactions and influences, the game traveled from one civilization to another, until you could find a set of dice in virtually any tomb around the world.

Although, the game of craps as we know it today has a more precise source of development. Craps were preceded by a gambling game of hazard that the British were enjoying for centuries before it was popularized in America.

Some say that the British have brought the game across the Atlantic, other say that the game was first adopted by the French, and then brought to New Orleans, which was the center of gambling in the US back in the 18th century. The second opinion is supported by the fact that the name «craps » was introduced namely by the French.

No matter who brought the game «across the pond », craps as we know it now was developed by a guy named John H. Winn. He has invented a table for the game that gave much more options of betting and gambling for the players. And with the creation of Las Vegas in the 1930s, the game’s popularity has exploded.

Today craps are one of the most spectacular casino games, becoming a symbol of gambling. It may look too complicated at first, but once you know the rules (which are pretty simple), the games becomes very exciting and you’ll find yourself playing it for hours.

By Elizabeth Tudor
Elizabeth Tudor is always ready to share his professional point of view on a topic. To see what Elizabeth Tudor has written about other things visit http://www.120freecasinogames.com/casino-games-histoty.html.