There are several theories on the history of Craps. One take is that in ancient times rolling of bones was done to divine the will of the gods, and that from this evolved both dice and various dice games (including Craps). Another take has the game evolving from an early Arab game passed through England, France and North America.
On one point all historians seem to agree, Craps was brought over to North America from Europe in the early 1700's. The game was first played on riverboats in the United States and then moved west with the frontier as the country grew.

There are two general types of Craps played today - “Street Craps” and “Bank Craps”. Street Craps is the variety you would find being played in informal settings. The betting is simplified, and someone must cover the bet in order for the game to progress. Bank Craps on the other hand is the form played in casinos. The betting is more complicated and the house covers the bets (banks the game) so the players are in effect playing against the house.