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Dice and dice games date back to the Crusades, but modern craps is only about a century old. Current craps evolved from the ancient Anglo game referred to as Hazard. No one knows for sure the origin of the game, but Hazard is believed to have been discovered by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the twelfth century. It’s supposed that Sir William’s paladins bet on Hazard through a siege on the castle Hazarth in 1125 AD. The title Hazard was acquired from the fortification’s name.
Early French colonizers imported the game Hazard to Canada. In the 18th century, when banished by the British, the French relocated south and discovered safety in the south of Louisiana where they eventually became known as Cajuns. When they left Acadia, they took their favorite game, Hazard, with them. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it mathematically fair. It’s said that the Cajuns changed the name to craps, which was acquired from the name of the non-winning toss of 2 in the game of Hazard, recognized as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game migrated to the Mississippi barges and throughout the nation. A good many consider the dice maker John H. Winn as the creator of current craps. In 1907, Winn designed the modern craps setup. He appended the Do not Pass line so gamblers could bet on the dice to lose. Later, he invented the boxes for Place bets and added the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.