The Best Craps Online Casinos

Craps is a game of chance that involves betting on the outcomes of a pair of dice. The game has US and European origins, making it a popular choice for a variety of players. If you’d like to learn more, check out our detailed guide below. We’ll cover the basic gameplay, the benefits of playing online, and the craps bonuses that are up for grabs at the best sites.

Intro to Craps

Craps has origins in the western European game of hazard. An English variant ‘Krabs’ dates back to 1788, but it is thought that hazard is much older and may have originated during the Crusades.

Modern craps developed here in the US as a simplification of hazard. It is thought that French-Creole American nobleman, politician and playboy Bernard de Marigny brought the game over to New Orleans from London in 1805.

The street version of craps became incredibly popular during World War II and began to be introduced to casinos as bank craps in the 1960s. By 2004, online casinos were starting to offer craps and this centuries-old game continued to be a staple in the selection of table games on offer to players.

How to Play Craps

Players begin by placing bets on the potential outcomes of the dice roll. In live craps, players take turns to be the shooter – that is, the one who rolls the dice. If you play solo craps, you’ll be the shooter and click the roll button each time.

The first roll is known as the come out roll. Anyone betting the pass line will win if the come out roll is a 7 or 11, or lose if it’s 2, 3 or 12 (known as craps). Any other number becomes the ‘point’. The point must then be rolled again before a seven to win.

House Edge for Craps

The house edge for craps varies between different variations of the game and different bets players can make. The lowest house edge is typically for the Pass/Don’t Pass bet – around 1.4% in standard bank craps.

In crapless craps, the shooter is at a greater disadvantage, with a house edge of 5.38%. In New York Craps, meanwhile, the overall house edge is 5%, while it’s 2.8% for Simplified Craps.

Types of Craps Bets

There are lots of different craps bets players can make during the game, depending on the variation. Here are the main ones to be aware of.

Passline Bets

This is an even money bet made on the come out roll. If you bet on the passline and the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, this is known as a natural and you win. If the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12, anyone betting the passline loses. Any other number becomes the point and the rolls continue — if the point is rolled again before a seven, you win.

Don’t Passline Bets

Don’t passline is also an even money bet and simply works as the opposite of the passline. If the come out roll is a 7 or 11, you lose. If the come out roll is a 2 or 3 you win, while a 12 is a tie. If any other number comes up and becomes the point, you instead win if a 7 is rolled before the point.

Any 7

Any 7—also known as ‘The Big Red’—is a one-roll bet, unlike the passline and don’t passline bets. Essentially, you’re betting that the next roll of the dice will result in a seven. It’s a simple but risky bet that has a 1 in 5 chance of success.

Come Bet

Come bets and don’t come bets work in the same way as passline and don’t passline bets but can be made after the first time the shooter rolls, when they have a point to make. You can make a come bet at any time during this sequence, so come bets are more individual to the player compared to passline bets that everyone makes at the start of the game.

How We Select The Best Craps Online Casinos

Here at Compare.bet, it’s our job to bring you the cream of the crop when it comes to craps online casinos. Our expert team reviews licensed sites in relation to set criteria – if a casino ticks all the boxes, it’s worth our endorsement. Here are some of the main factors we consider.

Licensing

You won’t find any unlicensed craps casinos here at Compare.bet. It’s vital that you only play at licensed sites to ensure the casino is regulated and held to certain standards. If a site breaks its licensing terms, it’ll be subject to sanctions or could be shut down. Unlicensed sites, meanwhile, could potentially act immorally with no repercussions. Stick to craps online casinos recommended by us and you can rest assured the site is regulated.

Clear Site Design

The best craps online casinos tend to be the ones that are straightforward to navigate and easy on the eye. Our reviewers assess the filtering options available – naturally, we want to be able to view all the craps games in one place, while it’s also helpful to be able to filter games by software provider. 

Positive User Experience

Related to site design, a positive user experience comes from a craps casino offering the full package. It should feel like the operator genuinely cares about the player’s experience of using the site. That means the site will have plenty of personality, with a clear brand identity and attractive aesthetics. There’ll be plenty of helpful features that are easy to use, such as a detailed Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page and tips on how to play different games. Ultimately, however, it’s about everything functioning properly and the site not feeling clunky to use.

Bonuses Available

Some craps casinos offer a welcome offer and not much else after that. We prefer sites that offer plenty of ongoing bonuses for existing customers. We’ll also be looking out for specific craps bonuses, or offers on similar table games – many casinos focus purely on slots, but the best sites have a variety of offers on the table.

Payment Options

It’s helpful to have a range of payment methods to choose from, so you can find one that suits your preferences. The best craps casinos support Visa and Mastercard bank cards, alongside e-wallets like PayPal, Neteller and Skrill. Other alternatives include Trustly, PayNearMe, and prepaid cards like Paysafecard.

Customer Services

The best craps online casinos offer 24/7 customer support from friendly and helpful advisors. Live chat services are popular, while many sites also allow players to get in touch via email, phone or web form. Whatever the avenue of support, it’s vital that players can get the help they need quickly and efficiently, whatever the issue may be.

Bonuses Available at Craps Online Casinos

New players and existing customers are able to claim a range of bonuses at craps online casinos. Here’s a selection of the most popular deals to give you a flavor of what’s up for grabs.

Matched Deposit Bonuses

With a matched deposit bonus, the craps casino will dish out a helping of bonus credit when you add funds to your account. 100% bonuses are the most common, which is when the amount of bonus credit will exactly match what you deposit into your account. For example, if you deposit $20, you’ll receive a $20 bonus. Larger and smaller offers are also up for grabs, such as 50% and 200% deposit deals.

Reward Points

Many sites will automatically opt you into a loyalty scheme where you collect reward points as you play. Every dollar you wager on the site will earn you points that can be exchanged for prizes. Rewards typically include bonus credit or free spins for slots, while more exclusive VIP deals may offer the chance to save up for exclusive trips and hotel getaways.

Reload Bonuses

With a reload bonus, craps casinos will ‘reload’ your account with bonus funds when you make a deposit. Reload bonuses are very similar to matched deposits, but are aimed at current rather than new players. Keep an eye out in your inbox to see if there’s one up for grabs.

Online Craps Variations

Some craps casinos offer different variations on the game. Here are some of the most popular.

Crapless Craps

The 5.38% house edge in crapless craps is higher than the original bank craps, but it does have some interesting features. On the come out roll, there are no ways to lose on the passline bet as the craps numbers 2, 3 and 12 become point numbers, as does 11. So, you win if a 7 is rolled, and everything else becomes a point number. The reason the house edge is higher is that 2, 3 and 12 have a fairly low chance of being rolled before a 7, so by making them point numbers it’s harder to roll the point before a 7.

Simplified Craps

In Simplified Craps, there are no point numbers. Instead, there are just six winning numbers and five losing numbers. You win if you roll 2, 3, 4, 10, 11 or 12. You lose if you roll 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9. A 2 pays 3:1, a 3 or 4 pays evens, 1:1, a 10 or 11 pays 2:1, while a 12 pays the highest at 5:1.

New York Craps

The main difference in New York Craps is that Come and Don’t Come bets aren’t available. Instead, you can bet on the box numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.