Dice and dice based games date back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but modern craps is only about 100 years old. Current craps developed from the archaic English game called Hazard. No one is certain of the origin of the game, but Hazard is considered to have been designed by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the 12th century. It is believed that Sir William’s knights enjoyed Hazard at the time of a blockade on the fortification Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was developed from the castle’s name.
Early French settlers brought the dice game Hazard to French North America (the area of Acadia, which is now Nova Scotia). In the 18th century, when driven away by the British, the French relocated south and discovered sanctuary in southern Louisiana where they eventually became Cajuns. When they fled Nova Scotia, they brought their preferred game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns modernized the game and made it more mathematically attractive. It’s stated that the Cajuns amended the name to craps, which was developed from the term for the non-winning throw of two in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game extended to the Mississippi river boats and throughout the territory. Many think the dice maker John H. Winn as the founder of modern day craps. In the early 1900s, Winn created the modern craps table design. He included the Don’t Pass line so folks could wager on the dice to lose. Later, he developed the spaces for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.