Dice and dice games go back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but current craps is only about one hundred years old. Modern day craps developed from the ancient English game titled Hazard. No one is certain of the beginnings of the game, but Hazard is considered to have been made up by the British man, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It is believed that Sir William’s soldiers gambled on Hazard during a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the fortress’s name.
Initial French settlers brought the game Hazard to Canada (the area of Acadia, which is Nova Scotia today). In the 18th century, when driven away by the British, the French headed south and found refuge in southern Louisiana where they a while later became Cajuns. When they fled Nova Scotia, they took their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the dice game and developed it to be more mathematically attractive. It is said that the Cajuns amended the name of the game to craps, which was attained from the term for the losing toss of two in the game of Hazard, known as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi riverboats and throughout the country. Many see the die maker John H. Winn as the founder of modern craps. In the early 1900s, Winn created the current craps layout. He added the Don’t Pass line so folks could bet on the shooter to not win. Later, he developed the areas for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big eight, and Hardways.