Dice and dice based games date back to the Crusades, but modern day craps is just about 100 years old. Current craps evolved from the ancient British game named Hazard. No one is certain of the birth of the game, but Hazard is considered to have been developed by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the 1300’s. It’s presumed that Sir William’s soldiers wagered on Hazard at the time of a blockade on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was derived from the fortification’s name.
Initial French colonists brought the dice game Hazard to Canada (the area of Acadia, which is Nova Scotia today). In the 1700s, when exiled by the British, the French moved south and located safety in the south of Louisiana where they eventually became known as Cajuns. When they departed Nova Scotia, they took their preferred game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns streamlined the dice game and developed it to be more statistically attractive. It’s stated that the Cajuns changed the name to craps, which was developed from the name of the losing toss of two in the dice game of Hazard, known as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and throughout the territory. Many consider the dice maker John H. Winn as the founder of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn assembled the modern craps layout. He put in place the Do not Pass line so individuals could wager on the shooter to lose. Later, he created the spots for Place wagers and added the Big 6, Big eight, and Hardways.