
Craps has gone through various iterations since its inception in the Roman era, when soldiers used to play the game with knuckle bones of pigs, to its days of being called Hazard and then Craps when it got to France. The rules of craps have undergone various rebirths and standardization, which make it what it is today.
The earliest accepted invention story of craps is that it was created by Sir William of Tyre in 1125 during the crusades. The game was originally called “Asart” or “Hazarth” after a castle of the same name. It was later changed to “Hazard.” When the game got to France in the 17th century, it got the name craps, which was derived from “Crapaud.” Crapaud is a French word that means toad and the name was given to the game because of the crouching stance players took when playing street craps.
An early version of craps was brought to the American shores by Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville. He was a wealthy gambler and politician who brought the game to New Orleans. A flaw in the game made it possible for players to exploit casinos that had the game until this flaw was fixed by the man credited as the father of modern bank craps.
John H. Winn is an American dice maker and is regarded as the creator and father of bank craps. He added the “don't pass” betting option, which corrected the flaw in the game. His version of the game gained popularity as it spread throughout the French Louisiana Colony of Arcadia and to other parts of America.
During the 20th century, craps continued to grow and spread as it was played by American soldiers during the Second World War. This extended the appeal of the game abroad and casinos capitalized on this by standardizing the game for gamblers.