Monte Carlo: Where the Dice Roll and the Jet Set
Xenia Luch
12 January 2024
Comment 0

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 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.

Did you know? It was named after Prince Charles III of Monaco.
A New Casino and a New Name

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.
Year | Upgrades |
1863 | Casino de Monte-Carlo opens |
1864 | Hôtel de Paris opens |
1879 | Opéra de Monte-Carlo opens |
1909 | Monte Carlo Rally begins |
1911 | Monte Carlo Golf Club opens |
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.

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:
Legend | Year | Details |
Joseph Jagger | 1881 | Cracked the bank by finding a biased wheel |
Charles Wells | 1891 | Won more than 1 million francs |

Monte Carlo Today

Monte Carlo is still one of the most popular destinations for gambling enthusiasts. It hosts prestigious events such as:
Event | Category |
EPT Grand Final | Poker |
Monaco GP | Formula One |
Rolex Masters | Tennis |

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.

- 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.