Dice Kingdom

The History and Development of Craps

The exact history and development of craps is still largely unknown. What is known, however, is that craps came from an English game called Hazard. Even the exact origin of Hazard is also clouded with mystery. Some say the game of Hazard was invented by Sir William of Tyre during the time of the Crusades. Others contest that the game of Hazard came from the Arab world. It was said to have been derived from the Arab word 'azzah', which means dice.

Wherever the game of Hazards came from we can be sure that the English played it during the time of the Crusades where it can be remembered that great leaders like Frederick Barbossa of the Holy Roman Empire, Richard the Lion Hearted and Philip Augustus of France risked their lives to regain back the Holy Land from the Moslems. English Hazard was often played at camp to ward of boredom and as a pastime.

From the days of the Crusades, the game of craps came to France. The French in turn brought craps to the Americas. During 1800 the game of craps became a very well known gambling game in dark alleyways and illegal rooms of New Orleans, a popular French-American site at that time.

From there the craps game traveled and became known in the riverbanks of the Mississippi River. It is not uncommon to see nearby residents playing the then simplified version of craps. Many even tried cheating in craps games by using weighted dice to win.

It was John H. Winn that solved the craps-cheating problem. He changed the rules that allowed craps players to bet not only with the player but now with the casino as well. He also revolutionized the craps table layout by including Don't Pass bets. Because of his developments of the craps game, John H. Winn became known as the Father of modern craps. He has become a legend in craps history.

In 1930 gambling became legal in Nevada. This made craps flourish even more in the United States. Today even more developments in craps are being made to achieve the elusive dream of rolling the perfect dice and beating the house. New craps systems were introduced, such as craps betting systems and progressive betting systems.

In the advent of modern technology, new ways of playing craps emerged. I'm talking about the use of the internet in playing craps. This became a norm since the time online casinos were introduced. The internet paved the way for players to play craps online, using only their computers and bank accounts to play and bet in craps. Truly craps have come a long way and we can be sure to see more craps developments through the years.