The Monte-Carlo Casino is an integral part of Monaco’s past and present and shouldn’t be missed on your visit to the principality. Culture Trip’s guide to this famous landmark provides you with everything you need to know, from a little history to some handy visiting tips. Enjoy leisure time to time to explore and dine in Monte Carlo’s ritzy Casino Square, and see if luck is on your side at Europe’s most prestigious slots and card tables. Numbers are limited to eight people for a personalized small-group experience. US$78.94 per adult 4,120 Reviews 65 Q&A.

• Monte Carlo Hotel Las Vegas Official Site
• Casino Monte Carlo
• Casino Monte Carlo James Bond

Its series of 'Gaming Rooms' are marvellously decorated with stained glass windows, sculptures, and allegorical paintings. The Casino de Monte-Carlo is open to players from 2 pm until the last table closes. Restricted access – over 18’s only Proof of identity required. Enjoy leisure time to time to explore and dine in Monte Carlo’s ritzy Casino Square, and see if luck is on your side at Europe’s most prestigious slots and card tables. Numbers are limited to eight people for a personalized small-group experience. $79.03 per adult 4,120 Reviews 65 Q&A.

The Monte Carlo Casino, officially named Casino de Monte-Carlo, is a gambling and entertainment complex located in Monaco. It includes a casino, the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and the office of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo.^[1]

The Casino de Monte-Carlo is owned and operated by the Société des bains de mer de Monaco, a public company in which the Monaco government and the ruling royal family have a majority interest. The company also owns the principal hotels, sports clubs, foodservice establishments, and nightclubs throughout the Principality.

The citizens of Monaco are forbidden to enter the gaming rooms of the casino.^[2]

History[edit]

The idea of opening a gamblingcasino in Monaco belongs to Princess Caroline,^[3] a shrewd, business-minded spouse of Prince Florestan. Revenues from the proposed venture were supposed to save the House of Grimaldi from bankruptcy. The ruling family's persistent financial problems became especially acute after the loss of tax revenue from two breakaway towns, Menton and Roquebrune, which declared independence from Monaco in 1848 and refused to pay taxes on olive oil and fruit imposed by the Grimaldis.

In 1854, Charles, Florestan's son and future Prince of Monaco, recruited a team of Frenchmen—writer Albert Aubert and businessman Napoleon Langlois—to devise a development plan and write a prospectus to attract 4 million francs needed to build a spa for the treatment of various diseases, a gambling casino modeled from the Bad Homburg casino, and English-styled villas. Granted the concession of 30 years to operate a bathing establishment and gaming tables, Aubert and Langlois opened the first casino at 14 December 1856 in Villa Bellevu. Intended to be only a temporary location, the building was a modest mansion in La Condamine.

In the late 1850s, Monaco was an unlikely place for a resort to succeed. The lack of roads needed to connect Monaco to Nice and the rest of Europe, and the absence of comfortable accommodations for visitors, as well as the concessionaires' failure to publicize the new resort, resulted in far fewer customers than was originally anticipated. Unable to raise the capital needed to operate the money-losing enterprise, Aubert and Langlois ceded their rights to Frossard de Lilbonne, who in turn passed it to Pierre Auguste Daval in 1857.^[4]

During this initial period, the casino had been moved several times, until it finally ended up in the area called Les Spelugues (English: The Caves). Construction at this site began on 13 May 1858 to designs of the Parisian architect Gobineau de la Bretonnerie^[5] and was completed in 1863. Gobineau de la Bretonnerie also designed the neighboring Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo (constructed in 1862).^[6]

Although the casino began to make a profit in 1859, Daval was not up to the task. Just like his predecessors, he was incompetent and lacked the ability to bring the gambling enterprise to the scale envisioned by Princess Caroline.^[7] Frustrated, she dispatched her private secretary M. Eyneaud to Germany, hoping to recruit François Blanc, a French entrepreneur and operator of the Bad Homburg casino. Blanc declined the offer. It took a lot of time and persuasion on the part of Princess Caroline to convince the Blancs to move to Monaco. Princess Caroline even appealed to Madame Blanc, whom she befriended during her first visit to Bad Homburg, with a suggestion that Monaco's mild climate would be good for Madame Blanc's ill health.

Finally, in 1863 François Blanc agreed to take over Monaco's casino business. To manage the new venture, a company—the Societe des Bains de Mer et du Cercle des Etrangers—was formed with capital of 15 million francs. Among the prominent investors were Charles-Bonaventure-François Theuret, Bishop of Monaco, and Cardinal Pecci, the future Pope Leo XIII. Blanc became the single majority stockholder in the company and received a 50-year concession, which would last until 1913. Blanc used his connections to quickly raise the required capital, and began the massive construction. On Blanc's insistence, the Spelugues area where the gambling complex was located was renamed to make it sound more attractive to casino visitors. A few suggestions were considered, and the name Monte Carlo was chosen in Prince Charles' honor.

In 1878–79, the casino building was transformed and expanded to designs of Jules Dutrou (1819–1885) and Charles Garnier, the architect who had designed the Paris opera house now known as the Palais Garnier. François Blanc knew Garnier because Blanc had provided a loan of at least 4.9 million gold francs to the cash-strapped government of the French Third Republic, so that the opera house, which had been started in 1861, could be completed. It had finally opened in 1875. The alterations to the Casino de Monte Carlo included the addition of a concert hall (designed by Garnier and later named the Salle Garnier), located on the side of the casino facing the sea, and the redesign and expansion of the gaming rooms and public spaces, mostly carried out by Dutrou on the side of the casino facing the Place du Casino, where the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo and the were also located.^[8]

In 1880–81, the casino was expanded again, to the east of Dutrou's Moorish Room, by the addition of the Trente-et-Quarante Gaming Room, also designed by Garnier. Subsequent additions and expansions, and the remodeling of the Trente-et-Quarante Gaming Room into the Salle des Américains, have mostly obliterated Garnier's contributions to this part of the casino, except for some ceiling decorations.^[9] In 1898–99, the Salle Garnier was remodeled by architect Henri Schmit, primarily in the stage area, so that it would be more suitable for opera and ballet performances. However, much of Garnier's original facade and the interior design of the auditorium itself remain intact.^[8] Despite all of the later additions and modifications, the casino still has a distinctly Beaux Arts style.

In 1921, the first Women’s Olympiad was held at the casino gardens.

Until recently, the Casino de Monte-Carlo has been the primary source of income for the House of Grimaldi and the Monaco economy.

Casino facilities[edit]

The casino has facilities to play a variety of games which include:

• Different kinds of roulette

1913 Gambler's fallacy[edit]

The most famous example of the gambler's fallacy occurred in a game of roulette at the Casino de Monte-Carlo in the summer of 1913, when the ball fell in black 26 times in a row. This was an extremely uncommon occurrence, although no more nor less common than any of the other 67,108,863 sequences of 26 red or black. Gamblers lost millions of francs betting against black, reasoning incorrectly that the streak was causing an 'imbalance' in the randomness of the wheel, and that it had to be followed by a long streak of red.^[10]

Breaking the bank[edit]

• In 1873, Joseph Jagger gained the casino great publicity by 'breaking the bank at Monte Carlo' by discovering and capitalizing on a bias in one of the casino's roulette wheels. Technically, the bank in this sense was the money kept on the table by the croupier. According to an article in The Times in the late 19th century, it was thus possible to 'break the bank' several times. The 1892 song 'The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo', made famous by Charles Coborn, was probably inspired by the exploits of Charles Wells, who 'broke the bank' on many occasions on the first two of his three trips.
• According to the book Busting Vegas by Ben Mezrich, a team of blackjack players recruited from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology by team-leader Victor Cassius and Semyon Dukach attempted to break the bank at Monte Carlo with the assistance of a team-play-based system. The book describes how the management of Monte Carlo responded to the success of the team. According to Semyon the account in Busting Vegas is accurate aside from the fact that the team was made up of himself, Andy Bloch and another player he refers to as 'Katie'.^[11]

In popular culture[edit]

• James Bond, a fictional British spy, is often associated with the Casino de Monte-Carlo.
  • Monaco and its casino were the locations for a number of James Bond movies, including Never Say Never Again and GoldenEye, as well as for the 'Casino Royale' episode of the CBS's Climax!television show.
• The casino served as a filming location for the 2004 film Ocean's Twelve.^[12]
• The casino makes an appearance in Condorman, The Castle of Cagliostro and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted.

Other mentions[edit]

• The Monte Carlo method, a computational approach which relies on repeated random sampling to solve difficult numerical problems, was named after the Casino de Monte-Carlo by physicist Nicholas Metropolis.^[13]

Gallery[edit]

• The Casino de Monte-Carlo main entrance

• View of the casino illuminated at dusk

• The main hall

• Roulette tables

• The gardens behind the casino with the Salle Garnier in the background

• South balcony

See also[edit]

Monte Carlo Hotel Las Vegas Official Site

References[edit]

Notes

1. ^'Le Casino de Monte-Carlo joue la carte de l'ouverture'. nicematin.com. Archived from the original on 2012-08-05.
2. ^The rule banning all Monegasques from gambling or working at the casino was an initiative of Princess Caroline, de facto regent of Monaco, who amended the rules on moral grounds. The idea that the casino was intended only for foreigners was even emphasized in the name of the company that was formed to operate the gambling business, Societe des Bains de Mer et du Cercle des Etrangers (English: Company of Sea Bathing and of the Circles from Abroad). Source: Edwards, Anne (1992). The Grimaldis of Monaco: The Centuries of Scandal—The Years of Grace. William Morrow. ISBN978-0-688-08837-8..
3. ^Edwards, Anne (1992). The Grimaldis of Monaco: The Centuries of Scandal - The Years of Grace. William Morrow. ISBN978-0-688-08837-8..
4. ^'Chronology of Gambling (1852-1900)'. gamblinghistory.info.
5. ^Folli & Merello 2004, pp. 112, 114.
6. ^Denby p. 92.
7. ^Sharma, K.K. (1999). Tourism and Culture. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. ISBN81-7625-056-2.
8. ^ ^abFolli & Merello 2004, pp. 116–117, 136; Bouvier 2004, pp. 190–192.
9. ^Folli & Merello 2004, pp. 132–133.
10. ^Lehrer, Jonah (2009). How We Decide. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 66.
11. ^'ThePOGG Interviews - Semyon Dukach - MIT Card Counting Team Captain'. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
12. ^'OCEANS 12 - Production notes - About the production'. CinemaReview.com. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
13. ^Metropolis 1987.

Sources

• Bonillo, Jean-Lucien, et al. (2004). Charles Garnier and Gustave Eiffel on the French and Italian Rivieras: The Dream of Reason (in English and French). Marseilles: Editions Imbernon. ISBN9782951639614.
  • Bouvier, Béatrice (2004). 'Inventaires' in Bonillo et al. 2004, pp. 186–205.
  • Folli, Andrea; Merello, Gisella (2004). 'The Splendour of the Garnier Rooms at the Monte Carlo Casino' in Bonillo et al. 2004, pp. 112–137.
• Denby, Elaine (2004). Grand Hotels: Reality and Illusion. London: Reaktion Books. ISBN9781861891211.
• Metropolis, N. (1987). 'The beginning of the Monte Carlo method'(PDF). Los Alamos Science (1987 Special Issue dedicated to Stanislaw Ulam): 125–130.

External links[edit]

Casino Monte Carlo

Long before Las Vegas or Macau rose to prominence, Monte Carlo was the world’s premier gambling destination. It became a big deal in the mid-1800s and has continued its run as a casino hotspot ever since.

Casino Monte Carlo James Bond

Of course, Monte Carlo doesn’t draw diehard gamblers as much as Vegas or Macau. Instead, it’s more of a lavish casino destination that attracts wealthy people and others looking for an experience as much as the games.

It makes for a truly unique trip that offers the type of extravagance and waterfront views that few places can match. You can read more about what a Monte Carlo gambling trip is like below.

Where Is Monte Carlo?

Monte Carlo is located in Monaco. The latter is an independent principality that’s wedged between the Italian Riviera and the French Riviera.

It’s an extremely small place that only has 30,000 residents. Part of this population doesn’t even live in Monaco full time. They merely maintain an address here and stay part of the year so that they can avoid paying income taxes.

As for Monte Carlo, it’s only one of five districts in Monaco. The other four districts include La Condamine, Fontvieille, Monaco-Ville, and Moneghetti.

How Do You Get to Monte Carlo?

Part of Monte Carlo’s exclusivity is attributed to how difficult it is to reach. It’s not anything like Las Vegas, which is easily accessible through international flights and major highways.

Monte Carlo’s rugged landscape and seaside location make it the complete opposite of Vegas. However, you can still get here through multiple ways.

The Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport is the closest spot for international flights. You can land here and hitch a taxi or Uber ride down the coast to Monte Carlo. The drive from the airport is only 25 minutes. However, you’ll end up paying €80 on average for the ride.

You can also take a helicopter from the airport. This option will run you €150, but it provides unforgettable views along the way. Buses provide a cheaper route over taxis, Ubers, and helicopters. There are bus passes for anywhere from €20 to €30.

If you’re up for a French vacation, you can also fly into Paris and find transportation from there. This route is great if you’ve never been to the City of Love. You’ll also find far more flights that touch down in Paris versus Nice.

The downside, though, is that Paris is almost 600 miles away from Monaco. You’ll need to spend more time and money on transportation when starting from Paris.

What Casinos Are Available in Monte Carlo?

Many people know of Monte Carlo as a gambling destination. Therefore, they may envision it having many casino options.

The reality, though, is that Monte Carlo doesn’t really offer many options at all. It only features the following four casinos:

• Casino de Monte Carlo
• Casino Le Café de Paris

• Monte Carlo Bay Casino
• Sun Casino

This casino offers the most real money slots and table games in the district. It also features the type of opulence you’d expect during your time here.

Café de Paris serves as both an outdoor café and slots parlor. You’ll find nearly 500 video poker and slot machines in this establishment.

The Bay Casino offers another slots parlor with no table games. Meanwhile, Sun Casino—located inside the Fairmont Hotel—has both table games and slots.

What Casino Games Can You Play in Monte Carlo?

Monte Carlo does a good job of spreading many types of gambling across its four casinos. You’ll find a good variety of table games and slot machines throughout the area.

Here are some of the table games that are available in Monte Carlo:

• Baccarat
• Blackjack
• Craps

• European Roulette
• Stud Poker
• Texas Hold’em

The roulette action is particularly good here. You’ll find a number of European Roulette wheels with the la partage rule in effect.

The European wheel features 37 numbers and a 2.70% house edge. This compares much more favorably to the American Roulette version, which has 38 numbers and a 5.26% house advantage.

You’ll also enjoy the la partage rule, which pays half back on losing even-money bets when the ball lands on zero. This rule cuts the house edge down to 1.35%.

The blackjack games in Monte Carlo are largely favorable too regarding rules. However, you won’t be able to count cards on anything less than a €100 table.

Most of the tables throughout the district use a continuous shuffling machine (CSM), which spoils any card counting dreams. The video poker action isn’t very good in Monte Carlo. You can find 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54% RTP) if you’re willing to bet €1 per coin (€5 for the full five coins).

However, some American casinos only require to wager $0.25 per coin to play 9/6 Jacks or Better. Assuming you play the quarter games in Monte Carlo, then you’ll be facing 98.45% RTP or worse.

Keep in mind that you must exchange other currencies (e.g. USD, GBP) for euros before gambling. You can use an online currency converter if you’re struggling with knowing how much your bets are worth.

How Much Do You Have to Pay to Stay at the Casinos?

Monte Carlo is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and it charges you for this fact too. You’ll pay hundreds of euros to stay at a three-star hotel or better.

Assuming you find any good deals, your booking cost is typically non-refundable. Furthermore, you’ll likely need to call in advance, because others will be fixating on the same great offers.

Of course, you could always opt for the budget hotels located here as well. But even these are more expensive than the average motel found throughout Atlantic City or Vegas.

Do You Need Formal Wear to Enter Casinos?

One common stereotype about Monte Carlo is that you need to wear a tuxedo or evening gown to enter the gambling floor. While this may be true of high-roller rooms, it’s not true across the board.

You will, however, need to have formalwear if you visit one of the private gambling rooms. You’ll also need to bring a large bankroll to afford the €100 minimum bets.

How Are Monte Carlo Casinos Different From Others?

Most casinos use various tricks to keep your mind on the games at hand. They don’t have windows, clocks, or anything else that would clue you in on amount of time spent on the gambling floor.

Monte Carlo takes a very different approach to the matter. They not only have clocks on the wall but also feature large windows that provide a view to the outdoors.

Another difference is the makeup of the gambling floors. Monte Carlo casinos don’t have as many slot machines as most gaming destinations.

They feature more table games on average, because they earn the majority of their revenue in this area. Contrast this scenario to Las Vegas casinos, which fill their gambling floors with slot and video poker machines.

The Monte Carlo gambling floors are also decorated much better than those found elsewhere. They go for a classic and elegant look that includes candelabras, chandeliers, and marble floors.

Likewise, dealers are all clad in formal wear. This touch completes an atmosphere that makes you feel like you’ve stepped back into a wealthy 1800s gambling house.

Finally, Monte Carlo casinos aren’t as noisy as those in Vegas, Atlantic City, Macau, and other gambling hotspots. The less-noisy atmosphere is due to fewer slot machines and a quieter table games crowd.

Conclusion

Monte Carlo definitely isn’t your standard gambling trip. Instead, it’s one of the most lavish gambling destinations in the world.

Movie stars, royalty, and billionaires all vacation in this famed district of Monaco. Much of the same crowd also likes to gamble in the legendary private rooms found in Casino de Monte Carlo.

Fortunately, you don’t need to be a prince or movie star just to enjoy Monte Carlo. But you will need to have a larger-than-average budget before heading here.

Monte Carlo hotels are pricier on average than any other casino destination. You’ll also have to spend more actually getting here. But once you do commit to this trip, you won’t be disappointed with the results.