Craps Information

Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

Be clever, play cunning, and learn how to play craps the correct way!

Games that use dice and the dice themselves goes all the way back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but current craps is just about a century old. Current craps developed from the ancient Anglo game called Hazard. No one absolutely knows the origin of the game, but Hazard is believed to have been created by the Anglo, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It’s supposed that Sir William’s soldiers gambled on Hazard during a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was acquired from the citadel’s name.

Early French settlers brought the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when expelled by the English, the French relocated down south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they a while later became known as Cajuns. When they fled Acadia, they took their preferred game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it more mathematically fair. It is believed that the Cajuns altered the name to craps, which was derived from the term for the losing throw of two in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."

From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi riverboats and throughout the country. Many acknowledge the dice maker John H. Winn as the creator of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn created the modern craps setup. He added the Do not Pass line so players could bet on the dice to not win. At another time, he created the spots for Place wagers and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.