The History of Craps

Hazard

Craps history is still a matter of debate, but most people believe that Craps originated from an earlier game called 'Hazard'. The origin of the name, craps, comes from the French pronunciation of the word "crabs", which is the nickname of the game Hazard.
The name Hazard came from the Arabic words 'al zar' or 'azzah' which means "the dice", and many people believe that the roots of the dice are in Arabic countries. The game of Hazard was developed in the 18th century and was played by the European aristocracy before arriving to America through the French citizens in Louisiana. Later the game was played on Mississippi riverboats.

Transformation to craps

It was probably Bernard de Mandeville, citizen of New Orleans who simplified the game of hazard and invented the first version of craps. The game spread across the states with the riverboats and only after John H. Winn changed some of the rules, the game improved and eliminated the usage of fixed dice while making it a game of bets against the roller of the dice.
Before Winn changed the game, Craps had a simple layout, featuring only the Field, the 6 and 8 and the Come bets. Winn improved the game and drew a space for the Don't Pass bets.

Modern time

During World War II, many soldiers began playing the modern version of craps in order to entertain themselves during the horrible times. With the years, craps became more and more popular and common on casinos across the world, but during the 90's the game lost some of its popularity for gambling machines such as video poker and slots.
Only recently craps gained back its respect and became the biggest gambling game in terms of money wagered. Gambling industry experts believe that the possibility of playing online craps contributed to this popularity.