Monaco's most popular attraction, the Casino, has increased its fame all over the world also due to the popular song “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo”, wrote in 1891 by Fred Gilbert.

“The man” was Joseph Jaggers, a British engineer, who in 1873 discovered and capitalized a bias in one of the casino's roulette wheels, raising the amount of $450.000, a very impressive sum at that time.

Architecture

The renowned Monte Carlo Casino has a special architecture, a work of art worth seeing even if you are not a gambler and enter the Casino for this alone. It was designed in 1863 by the French architect Charles Garnier, who also built the Paris Opera.

You can admire the Boucher-style frescoes, sculptures and bas-reliefs. The atrium is a gold and marble masterpiece, with 28 Ionic columns, Bohemian glass chandeliers and rococo ceilings.

Gaming

There are 35 game tables for baccarat, blackjack, craps, English Roulette, French roulette, punto Banco, Mini Punto Banco. The tables are of the finest wood and have intricate designs.

The main gaming hall is divided into two rooms/salles: the American Room (opening at 10AM) and the European Room (opening at 12PM). The two rooms have slot machines and different variants of roulette, chemin-de-fer, baccarat and thirty-fourty.

The slot machines achieved increased popularity in Monte Carlo Casino with the invention of the jackpot in 1930s. Here one can find even exclusive models of slot machines, found in no other place.

The Private Rooms — Prive Salons open at 3PM (games: European and English Roulette, Trente et Quarante, Chemin de Fer, Black Jack, Craps, Punto Banco) and the Salon Super Prive is available only by appointment.

Rules

The entrance is limited by constraints: you must be over 21, must have ID, and be smartly-dressed (jacket and tie for men). Once inside you may not have access to the Salons Prives. There is a charge to enter the salons, except the American Room.

If you are hungry (and there's still money left!) there are also food and beverage offerings: Toum (Asian), Le Train Bleu, Les Prives.