Monte-Carlo Casino

Perhaps one of the most famous of all Monaco’s sights is the Monte-Carlo Casino. The building is also home to the Grand Théâtre de Monte Carlo and is an entertainment as well as a gambling venue. The casino was the brainchild of Princess Caroline who wanted to use the revenues from gambling to save the fortunes of the Grimaldis who, at the end of the 19th century, were going through a period of serious money issues. It wasn’t really until the early 20th century that the casino began to make money but since then it has become one of the biggest income sources for the Monaco economy.

The building itself is worth seeing, whether you want to go in and gamble or not. It was redesigned in 1879 by Charles Garnier, who was also responsible for the Opera Garnier in Paris, and the concert hall in the casino was named after the architect. If you’re a gambler then you can play everything from baccarat and blackjack to slot machines and snap in the casino – however, you cannot take any Monaco residents with you, as the casino has a strict policy that no one from Monaco can gamble here and this is enforced by checking papers at the door.

The casino at Monte-Carlo has gained a global reputation as one of the most glamorous gambling spots in the world. This is partly due to its having featured in numerous films, including a number of James Bond movies, as well as Oceans Twelve. It has also been associated with some famous events and heists – Aristotle Onassis used to have a controlling stake in the casino and there were many attempts by professional players to ‘break the bank’ at the casino, resulting in this being immortalised in the song "The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo."

As well as the gambling, you can visit the casino to see concerts with big name stars such as Lionel Richie performing here, and there’s also a spa and various other leisure facilities. The casino also tends to provide the focal point during many of Monaco’s famous events – the Formula One Grand Prix goes past the casino and this is the location of the legendary Sporting Summer Festival, as well as the Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival.

Photo Monte_Carlo_Casino.jpg Author Wigulf commonswiki Licensed under CC-BY-2.5