Dice and dice based games date back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is just about 100 years old. Modern day craps evolved from the archaic British game titled Hazard. No one knows for sure the beginnings of the game, but Hazard is considered to have been invented by the British man, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It’s believed that Sir William’s soldiers gambled on Hazard during a blockade on the castle Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was developed from the castle’s name.
Early French colonists imported the game Hazard to French North America (the area of Acadia, which is now Nova Scotia). In the 18th century, when exiled by the British, the French moved south and located sanctuary in the south of Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the game and made it more statistically fair. It’s said that the Cajuns changed the name to craps, which was developed from the term for the losing toss of 2 in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi riverboats and throughout the union. Many think the die maker John H. Winn as the father of current craps. In 1907, Winn built the current craps layout. He added the Do not Pass line so players could wager on the dice to not win. Later, he created the spaces for Place wagers and added the Big six, Big 8, and Hardways.
