Craps is considered to be an ancient game, so this game has a long and amazing history.

The game of craps is thought to be a descendant of an old game that was called Hazard and these games origins are a matter of discussion. Hazard was said to be invented by Sir William of Tyre, the Englishman, and his knights, and it happened during the crusades. According to some evidences, the crusaders spent their pastime playing whereas they were laying siege to a castle that was called Asart or Hazarth in 1125 AD. This name “Hazard" is therefore thought to be a wrong pronunciation of the name of the above mentioned castle. Though, the Encyclopedia ‘Britannica’ asserts that the name is originated from the Arabic words 'azzah' or 'al zar' meaning just "the dice". This really proves that the game has Arabic origin.

Anyway never mind who invented it, Hazard became extremely popular and one of the most favorite English games. Geoffrey Chaucer frequently writes about it in the Canterbury Tales. It was played by the Englishmen through the ages. In the 17th century luxurious gambling houses (nowadays, the casinos) in England featured the game of Hazard and noblemen and other representatives of upper classes lost the whole fortunes playing it.

The French started to play Hazard, too and they say exactly they changed the previous name to Craps. They used and corrupted the name that was given to a losing throw of two in Hazard, that was known as ‘crabs’. Though, there isn’t any documented evidence that could support this idea and the name is nearly surely American in its origin.

Some say that the Frenchmen brought the game into the American Continent, while some others believe the British probably took it. The first British settlers, maybe on the Mayflower, nearly certainly play some games using dice.

Whoever brought craps to the American Continent it was there the game turned into the game of Craps which everybody knows today. The settlers from France after being displaced by the British moved south to become Cajuns. The game of Hazard is said to be taken with them to the south of the US. And exactly in the south the game of Craps developed and was attributed to African Americans in the beginning of the 19th century. An American slang for dice play and Craps hooting is African Dominoes. Some say that the name Craps originates from the term that was given to the French, Johnny Crapaud (crap is French for toad, a nickname concerning the French habit to eat frogs). However, the name ‘Craps’ is a corruption of the name ‘crabs’. It can have been the Frenchmen came up with this name or the southern African Americans who played it for the first time. Nobody is sure to know for sure.

The casino game expanded to the riverboats along the Mississippi river and then from that place to the rest part of the country till a dice maker John H Winn further developed the game that gamblers could make bets with the shooter or just against him. Such development did negate the usefulness of gambling with the help of crooked dice that was a usual practice at the time. Thus, John H Winn is well-known as the father of the modern game of Craps and the development of his became the 20th century casino game usually called Bank Craps with tables and layouts.

At the moment Craps is the largest gambling game (you can find best craps tables at microgaming casinos) in the world’s history concerning money wagered. The game played with 2 dice in any casino house or as a private game in a backroom or alley capture the public’s imagination. It is depicted in lots of Hollywood films as the high and low rollers game of choice. And as hundreds years ago and a man wants to throw dice and hopes to win rather than lose by tempting the Fate and gods.