Monte Carlo: Where the Dice Roll and the Jet Set

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Xenia Luch

12 January 2024

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Monte Carlo view

Monte Carlo is a place where dreams are made and broken; fortunes are won and lost; history is written and rewritten. It’s a place where anything can happen.

What is Monte Carlo?

Monte Carlo is a district of Monaco, a tiny but wealthy (with a GDP per capita of over $230,000) principality on the Mediterranean coast, near the border of France and Italy.

Monte Carlo map
Monte Carlo on the map of Europe

Monte Carlo is famous for its casino, which was built in 1863 and is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the world.

It Started with a Prince

Monte Carlo was born out of desperation in 1854, when Princess Caroline of Monaco came up with the idea of building a spa and a casino to save her family from bankruptcy. 

Her son, Charles III, hired 2 Frenchmen to write a plan and granted them a 30-year concession to operate the casino. The 1st casino opened in 1856 in a villa, but it was a bust. It was too far from the main roads and lacked publicity.

Charles III - Prince of Monaco
Charles III

Did you know? It was named after Prince Charles III of Monaco.

A New Casino and a New Name

casino Monte Carlo - old times
Casino de Monte-Carlo

It took Prince Charles III and François Blanc, a casino boss from Germany, to turn things around. They moved the casino to a plateau at the foot of the Maritime Alps, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, renamed it Casino de Monte-Carlo, and introduced the single-zero roulette wheel, which gave better odds to players. 

Monte Carlo’s Golden Age 

By the end of the 19th century, Monte Carlo was the place to be for the rich and famous. Royalty, nobility, celebrities, and adventurers flocked to the casino to try their luck at roulette, baccarat, and poker. Some of the notable visitors included:

  • Edward II — Royalty
  • Farouk I — Royalty
  • Coco Chanel — Fashion designer

Monte Carlo also inspired many artists and writers to create works based on its glamor and intrigue. Also the casino has been featured in many movies, such as James Bond’s Casino Royale and Ocean’s Twelve

Ocean’s Twelve movie
Filming of Ocean’s Twelve movie in Monte Carlo

The Roulette Paradise

Monte Carlo is not only a casino resort; it is a mecca for roulette lovers. The casino offers 86 table games, including poker, blackjack, and more. But roulette is the game that put Monte Carlo on the map. Here are some of the big wins:

Charles Wells - book
The story of Charles Wells was discribed in the book

Monte Carlo Today

casino Monte Carlo
Casino de Monte-Carlo today

Monte Carlo is still one of the most popular destinations for gambling enthusiasts. It hosts prestigious events such as:

Mike Watson - the winner of EPT Monte Carlo 2023
Mike Watson — the winner of EPT Monte Carlo Main Event in May, 2023

Fun Facts

  • Monte Carlo is home to the world’s largest hotel wine cellar, located at the Hôtel de Paris. The cellar contains over 350,000 bottles of wine, some dating back to 1850.
wine cellar - Monte Carlo
Wine cellar in the Hôtel de Paris
  • The citizens of Monaco are forbidden to gamble at the casino. This rule was introduced to prevent locals from losing their money.
  • Monte Carlo is home to some of the most expensive real estate in the world. The average price per square meter is between €50,000 and €70,000.