Craps History

Background about this complex dice gambling game

Long before online craps came about, the game was played by many different cultures around the world. Historians believe that craps actually originated in the Middle East and is a derivative of the Arabic name for dice which is "al-zahr". Going back as far as the 12th century, English crusaders in Jerusalem picked up on a dice game called al-zahr by the local population and brought it back to Europe where it became known as "hazard". They may have confused the Arabic name of the game for the word hazard because dice is a game of chance.

Craps, known as hazard, reached many western European players and gained immense popularity in England and especially France. By the 18th century, French sailors bought the game of hazard with them to America via New Orleans and this is how it was introduced to North America. The rules of the game had changed slightly over the years and new terms were developed for different dice rolls. A dice roll of two was called crabs by the French sailors, but to spectators in New Orleans who were curious about the game, the word "crabs" sounded more like "craps" and that became the designated name of the game.

Craps became well indoctrinated into the gambling scene in New Orleans and spread across America. With the rise of Las Vegas gambling establishments in the 20th century came the popularization of craps. Not only is it a popular casino game but craps is also played in the streets of many urban cities of North America. With the advent of the Internet, online craps has gained an even wider reach with fans of online gaming. Just about every good online casino features craps and online slots in its repertoire of games and there are many great software simulators available for playing free craps online. Try it out for yourself and see what all the hype is about. Good Luck!