One of the most thrilling games that always seems to get a great deal of attention from patrons at land-based casinos is the table game called craps, but what even is it, and can it be played online?
Let’s dive straight in to find out.
What are craps?
The craps dice game is an iconic table game. It’s where all the action typically is and where most people naturally gravitate towards when they visit a traditional brick-and-mortar casino. However, thanks to a handful of market-leading software providers and game development studios, it can also now be played online using an internet-enabled PC or mobile device.
Craps essentially involve betting on the outcome of two dice, and you can choose from a range of outcomes on what beginners would classify as a rather complex-looking betting table. During any given round, wagers can be placed between players or players and the bank.
The only difference with playing computer-generated or live dealer craps games at a licensed casino site is that in computer-generated craps games, the results are determined by highly sophisticated mathematical algorithm programs called random number generators (RNG), and in live dealer craps games, only the live dealer is at the table, or a mechanical dice thrower will roll the dice.
Instead of explaining the complex craps rules here, the best thing to do before playing online would be to read through the rules, which should only take a minute or so to read.
Alternatively, watch the short video tutorials that most live dealer craps games have. In fact, some fully licensed and regulated casino sites allow you to play their computer-generated craps games in the free-play demo mode, so you could practice playing in this risk-free mode.
We would also suggest familiarising yourself with the different bet types as quickly as possible and the associated payout structure, odds, and implied probability rates for each bet type. This will help you place far more informed and strategic bets. Plus, it also helps to learn the basic craps terminology.
Once you have mastered these key things, you will have more fun playing, and things won’t seem so confusing. You may also want to check out a few YouTube videos of craps being played at land-based or online casinos to get a better idea of what to expect before playing.
Basic rules
The person who rolls the dice in craps is referred to as the ‘shooter’. Anyone who is actively betting at the start of a new round of craps must place their wagers before the shooter rolls the dice onto the betting table.
When the shooter rolls the dice, and the total number of the two dice added together equals seven or 11, they win. If the shooter rolls a two, three or 12, they lose. If the total is anything else, they get to roll again and must try to roll that same total before rolling a seven to win.
The main craps bet types you must quickly get to grips with include:
● Any craps bets
● Pass line bet
● Don’t pass line bet
● Come bet
● Don’t come bet
● Field bets
You might also want to take a few minutes to learn more about other popular bets in craps, such as any seven bet, place bets, two or 12 bets, three or 11 bets, buy bets, hard way bets, big si,x and big eight bets.
Where can I play the best craps games online in 2025?
If you are aged 18 or above and want to try craps online, the safest thing to do is head to our favorite iGaming review site. You can find a database of over 2,000 legally permitted online casinos with 10 to 20 or more top online craps games on AskGamblers, which is the industry’s most well-known and trusted review site.
We recommend starting with their top 20 brands before working your way through their list. Each of their featured online casinos is free to join and typically has anywhere from five to 10 or so different craps games from various top-tier, award-winning iGaming software providers.
If you want to play computer-generated craps, also known as video craps, then try craps from a globally renowned company called Games Global.
However, those looking to take their online craps experience to the next level should try live dealer craps instead, which is streamed in real-time and operated by actual humans, sometimes from a closed television studio and other times it’s streamed from brick-and-mortar casinos in and around the UK.
Evolution Gaming’s most famous title is simply called Live Craps. They have also developed a first-person perspective version called Live First Person Craps.
Most computer-generated craps games you will find will be playable from around 0.10 to 0.50 per round and should be available in both the free-play and real money modes.
It’s a game of chance
Some of you will only be thinking of playing craps as a one-off, quick escape, and others may want to play regularly as a fun digital hobby. Either way, it’s important to understand that it’s a game of pure chance. In other words, you can try looking for strategies that might influence the outcomes, like in blackjack and poker, but you won’t find any.
Winning or losing in this classic favourite essentially boils down to chance, whether you play live dealer or computer-generated content. In that sense, craps is more like roulette, meaning it’s all about focusing on placing sensible bets with better odds.
We’ve learned not to get tempted by bet types with greater odds. While placing these bets can be successful, bets with long odds don’t land too often.
Conclusion
On a final note, please always gamble responsibly. Don’t forget to stick to playing on legally permitted casino sites recommended by the experts and never play craps or any other online casino games while tired or intoxicated. Remembering this will ensure you remain within your spending budget, plus it keeps things safe and fun for everyone involved.
By William Gibson.
