History of Craps

It is considered one of the oldest games and the first which involved dice. It is a well-liked game played at most of the online and land-based casinos. The original game was more complicated than the version played today all over the world. The idea of this game was conceived by an Englishman and was made popular by the French.

Sir William Invents Game During Crusades

The game of Craps was invented in 1125AD by Tyre’s Sir William who, along with a group of knights, captured a castle named Hazarath in England. The knights and their leader created a new game titled Hazard, named after the castle, to pass their time. Some scholars have debated that the game was originally played in Egypt as it has a history of dice games.

17^th and 18^th Century - Game Renamed in france and Introduced in the US

Sir William’s new game became an instant hit in England and was played extensively across the country in pubs and beer joints. Hazard was played by members of the nobility  in England. Towards the mid 17^th century, Frenchmen introduced the game in France. Renamed to stand apart from its English counterpart, the game was well-received by the people in France.

It took almost a century for the game, which was brought over by French and British immigrants, to reach the US. The game was well-received in the country and became a favorite pastime among people in several states. Some people found the game to be slightly more complicated than the other gambling games that were played at that time such as blackjack and poker.

19^th Century – undergoing Transformation

The game was altered and simplified by an American, John Winn. A dice-manufacturer, John Scarne, has called Winn the father and founder of the modern version of the game. Winn introduced several new ideas such as bets on the Don’t Pass and Pass lines. Big 8 and Big 6 were included in the game by Winn who played a major role in creating the rules of the game. The addition of the new features and bets made the game more successful.

20^th Century – Gains Popularity

By the 20^th century, it was widely played across the country. The game became a pastime for the soldiers of World War II who took the game to different countries. By 1931, gambling was legalized in Nevada and it was offered at several betting houses. It was one of the games often featured in American films, which contributed to its growing success. In the last decade of the 20^th century, people in the US began to lose interest in it as slot machines, which were newly introduced, became an instant hit.

Online version

With an increase in the number of gambling sites, online Craps has become one of the favorite games as it has a variety of bets which offer different advantages. Players have the option of playing it for free online which eliminates the risk of losing money.