Hazard

Over the centuries, the game of craps that we know and love today developed from an ancient game known as Hazard to a game now readily available on the internet at nearly all online casinos.

The craps that is played online today has not actually changed all that much since its early days as Hazard. The online versions of craps today feature many of the original rules of Hazard.

Origins of Hazard

The name 'hazard' is of Arabic origin. Some contend that the word comes from 'Al Zar', an Arabic game which means 'dice' in Arabic. Others believe that the game is named after a Arabian castle known as 'Hazarth' or 'Asarf' where English soldiers who were under siege in 1125 AD created the game as a pastime. These games were then brought to Europe sometime before the twelfth century.

Craps in the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe

Hazard was very popular with the English gentry back in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. From England the game naturally spread across the Channel to France and then to the Mediterranean countries where it was played by members of the European aristocracy. The word ‘craps’ is believed by many scholars to have originated from the French word ‘crabes’, being the nickname for hazard. 'Crabes' was the term for losing two throws in a row.

Craps in the 19th century in America

Hazard then travelled across the Atlantic to America with either the first French or British settlers. The game then spread throughout the country on steamships and underwent a number of modifications to simplify the game as we know it today.

Development of craps online

Today online craps is enjoyed by thousands of people around the globe. With the enormous growth of the online casino industry in the 1990s and the convenience offered by online casinos, playing craps on the internet has become the preferred method of playing for many.