Craps – where did it came from?

Craps is one of those live casino games players expect to find when entering a casino. It does not matter if the gaming establishment is brick and mortar or virtual, the game of craps is always a popular feature. But where did it come from? The history of craps actually extends all the way to the Crusades. What gamblers enjoy today is known as the casino version or Las Vegas version. It is a modern edition of the game first introduced by John H. Winn in 1907. Here is a closer look at the history of the world's most popular dice game.

Origins

Craps is traced back to two possible origin stories. Some people believe it to be a simplified version of Hazard, an English dice game invented during the crusades, or a game of chance created during the Roman Empire that used pig knuckles. In both cases, the game was used by soldiers to pass the time. Hazard was created by an English nobleman named Sir William of Tyre. The game became quite popular throughout Britain and Europe. Hazard was a popular feature in gambling halls and street corners. Many a royal or noble lost and gained fortunes with the speed of one roll. The game eventually found its way to France with numerous variations created along the way. It was Hazard and its French version crabs that eventually made the trek to the new world with colonists.

Americanized

The pathway that led to modern-day craps began in the French colony of Acadia. Colonists ported over crabs and when England took the colony over they took it Lousiana. Crabs morphed into a Cajun version called creps. Creps was ferried from one end of the Mississippi to the other gaining more and more popularity with each passing ferry. Casinos also continued different variations of Hazard as well. Unfortunately, most gambling establishments would use unfair dice. In 1907 dice-maker John H. Winn created a new set of rules to fix this problem. His new version of craps is what modern-day casinos use today. It also landed him the title of, “Father of Modern Craps”.

Golden Age

The game players today know as craps had its golden age in the 1930s. Gambling was legalized in the U.S. and casinos received a wave of activity. Craps was one of many table games that became very popular, very fast. Craps, in particular, gained a strong following because it was different than card games. In craps, there was dice throwing and that extra aspect achieved great appeal. Its popularity exploded even further when World War II broke out. From its inception, craps have been a popular game for soldiers. It is a fast and easy way to pass the time. Naturally, when the war broke out craps became the one game of chance they could take with them. It was a game played by people of every class. It also became a treasured memory for returning veterans. This led to craps becoming a dominant table game in Vegas casinos following the war.

At Present

The casino-version of craps is still played today across the globe. No matter the region craps is recognized. Following the advent of the internet and wireless streaming craps became a regular feature of online casinos. At present virtual players can find variations of craps online from RNG tables to live dealer fare.