Monte Carlo is the Las Vegas of Europe. It’s the top destination for anyone who wants a getaway on the lap of luxury. It is a world-class destination for gamblers because it has some of the best casinos in the world. The most popular casino there is the Monte Carlo Casino. The Monte Carlo casino, also known as Casino de Monte Carlo was founded in 1863. It is in the heart of Monte Carlo, an administrative area in Monaco. The structure of the casino is one of a kind and the atrium is magnificent. The entire atrium has beautiful onyx columns and is paved in marble. The beauty of the casino alone is one of the key factors that invites tourists even before they check out the gaming rooms.
Casino de Monte Carlo – How It All Began
A few years before the Monte cap casino and entertainment center was created, the House of Grimaldi, the ruling family in Monaco, faced bankruptcy due to some financial challenges at the time. In a bid to save her family from bankruptcy, Princess Caroline came up with the idea of opening a casino and using the revenue from the casino to generate funds to save their house. Princess Caroline was the wife of Prince, Florestan. While she came up with the idea, it wasn’t until 1854, that Charles, the son of Florestan started making moves to make this dream a reality.
To kick start the project, Charles invited a team of two to discuss. One was Napoleon Langlois and the other was Albert Aubert. He asked them to come up with a fundraising plan for the entertainment center. The budget at the time was 4 million francs. Keep in mind that Charles wasn’t interested in building just a casino. He wanted to create a treatment spa, and city villas as well. The plan was to model the casino like the Bad Homburg casino. By December 1854, the first casino was opened in La Condamine, Villa Bellevu. That was meant to serve as a temporary location until they finished the permanent site.
At the time the first casino was launched, they didn’t see Monaco as the perfect site for a resort. This is because the city lacked enough road networks connecting to other parts of Europe, especially Nice. They also didn’t have many comfortable accommodations for visitors. They were not meeting up to their projected amount because there weren’t many customers. The resort also wasn’t getting the kind of publicity it needed to get the dice rolling, figuratively. Due to all these setbacks, they were unable to raise the capital required to keep things going. They eventually ceded the rights to Frossard de Lilbonne. In 1857, Frossard de Lilbonne ceded his rights to Pierre Auguste Daval.
In 1858, the casino finally started to make a profit. However, they still had problems with location and still had to move it a lot. It wasn’t until 1963 that the building in Les Spelugues was completed by the renowned architect Gobineau de la Bretonnerie. Although the casino started making a profit, Daval was a bad manager. He could not keep up with running the daily activities in the casino. His inefficiency made it difficult for the casino to reach its full potential. Princess Caroline had to send her secretary M. Eyneaud to Germany, to recruit a well known French entrepreneur and gambling industry guru, François Blanc. She hoped that Blanc would boost things up in the casino but he declined the offer initially. Eventually, the Princess was able to convince Blanc and his family to move to Monaco.
Blanc was put in charge of the casino part of the establishment and he became the single majority stockholder of the company even if there were many other investors. The establishment received a 50-year concession after which he started making moves to kickstart a major reconstruction and expansion of the establishment. He put several things in place to make sure that the casino was more attractive to customers. He was also the one who suggested that the name of the casino should be changed to Monte Carlo or Casino de Monte Carlo. This name was picked in honor of Monaco’s Prince Charles.
Between 1878 and 1879, the casino building was expanded and redesigned by Charles Garnier and Jules Dutrou. Blanc chose to hire Garnier for the job because the architect had a reputation in designing casinos and was the brains behind the Paris opera. The new design and reconstruction made the casino more beautiful than any other casino in Monaco. They added a concert hall, changed the gaming rooms, gave the front of the casino a seaside view, and increased all the public spaces. At this point, the casino had evolved from money wasting establishment to a money-making establishment. They were generating funds significantly as people from different parts of the world were coming to see the famous Monte Carlo casino and spend time in the resort.
By 1880, another expansion of the building was necessary to meet up with the rising demand. Before the renovations were completed, more designers were invited to contribute to the redecoration. By 1898, another remodeling and renovation contract was signed and this time, the chief architect in charge of the remodeling was Henri Schmit. The goal was to make the building more suitable for ballet and opera performances. Even if they made some changes and expanded it, several parts maintained the designs by Charles Gernier.
The Beauty of Casino de Monte Carlo
The Monte Carlo casino is still a sight to behold. Shows are hosted in the opera auditorium, Salle Garnier, regularly bringing in more profit for the family and boosting the Monaco economy. On the way to the auditorium of the atrium, there are beautiful statues that make you feel welcomed and the halls are designed primarily with red and gold decors. The beauty of the opera auditorium is fascinating and so are the gaming rooms.
The interior of the gaming rooms is like no other. The art is a must-see for all art lovers. The beauty of the gaming rooms makes the slot machines and card tables even more inviting. This is why people still travel to Monte Carlo even if their games are the standard casino games. There are different casino rooms in the building and players are allowed to visit the ones they choose. There are English rooms, European rooms, and even private rooms for those who want that experience. It all depends on what you enjoy. Each one provides a unique experience and you can decide to alternate rooms on different days to get the full experience.
It’s important to note that even if they have all the regular games of a standard casino, some games are offered exclusively at the Monte Carlo casino. Some of these include the mystery jackpot. A special offer that allows you to experience winning even if you aren’t the best gambler in the room. The major jackpot is another special offer that makes you a winner. For more information about the list of highest paying jackpots in the Monte Carlo casino, you can visit the website. There is a top 10 list of the highest paying and most consistent jackpots in the casino.
Apart from the beauty of the casino, they have many ground rules that are put in place by management to maintain order. For example, anyone who enters the casino must be 18 years and above. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to play a game or you want to visit someone who is playing a game. You must present a verified ID card showing that you are over 18. There is also a dress code that all customers must follow. Men are expected to be corporately or semi-corporately dressed in a tie and jacket. Women are allowed to wear casual outfits but tennis shoes are a no-no for men and women. There is also a policy prohibiting customers from wearing blue jeans.
When it comes to enjoying the full gambling experience and still having a swell time with other forms of entertainment, you should consider visiting the Monte Carlo casino in Monaco. With almost 200 years of experience, it’s no surprise that Casino de Monte Carlo is the third-best in the world.
