Dice and dice based games date back to the Crusades, but modern craps is just about 100 years old. Current craps flourished from the archaic English game called Hazard. No one knows for sure the birth of the game, but Hazard is said to have been created by the British man, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It is presumed that Sir William’s knights enjoyed Hazard for the duration of a blockade on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the castle’s name.
Early French settlers imported the dice game Hazard to French North America (the colony of Acadia, which is Nova Scotia today). In the 18th century, when driven away by the British, the French headed south and discovered sanctuary in southern Louisiana where they a while later became known as Cajuns. When they fled Nova Scotia, they brought their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns simplified the game and developed it to be more statistically attractive. It is said that the Cajuns changed the name to craps, which was developed from the term for the non-winning toss of two in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and around the union. Many see the dice maker John H. Winn as the father of modern day craps. In 1907, Winn created the current craps layout. He put in place the Don’t Pass line so individuals could wager on the dice to not win. Later, he developed the spots for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.