---

Gambling has been around for many hundreds of years if not thousands. There’s evidence and references to gambling in a wide array of cultures and dynasties, from Chinese and Indian history to Greek and Roman times, and even more.

 

Elementary dice and other gambling accessories have been unearthed by archaeologists that have been dated to over 40,000 years old, and tile games found in China that go back to the 22nd century BC. According to some records, Roman children were introduced to gambling from very young ages, and forced into a gambling culture to help make money for their families.

 

However, gambling was only made legal relatively recently in most parts of the world, and while you will not discover any casinos that date back to 2200 BC, there are still some iconic establishments that have been around for hundreds of years.

 

Let’s have a look at some of the world's oldest and most famous casinos from around the world.

 

Casino de Monte Carlo

 

Monte Carlo is renowned for being a destination for the world’s rich and famous, a decadent playground of glitz and glamour. The Casino de Monte Carlo was built in 1856 and was commissioned by Princess Caroline from the House of Grimaldi, to help the royal family get over some dire financial difficulties.

 

The Casino de Monte Carlo was a massive success, and by the 1890s had grown so much that it now included an opera hour, the Salle Garnier Concert Hall and the Trente-Quarante Gaming Room. It was renovated in the Beaux-Art style and decked out with balustrades, garlands, mosaics, big bay windows and doors and plenty of statues.

 

It might now be more recognisable as where a certain British secret agent played poker in Daniel Craig’s first out as James Bond in the 2006 film Casino Royale. It’s retained its reputation as a glamorous venue that always attracts a who’s who of wealthy celebrities, sports stars, musicians, and billionaires from all across the world.

 

It has now become one of the most famous gambling venues in the world and generates a huge amount of money for Monaco. One peculiarity about the casino is that Monaco residents are banned from entering the casino to prevent any gambling addictions - except, of course, the 80 per cent of foreign nationals that reside in the sovereign city-state on the French Riviera!

 

Casinò di Venezia

 

The Casinò di Venezia is officially the oldest in the world, as well as being the very first casino. It was first built in 1509, and initially was the home of some of Venice’s distinguished families, before becoming a casino in 1638.

 

The facade of the 500-year-old building is adorned with columns that directly face the Grand Canal, huge French doors parted by a massive column on the lower level, while the upper levels have beautiful trefoil windows and stately arches. The interior is filled with famous paintings and sculptures, illuminated by opulent chandeliers. Most of the ceilings were painted by Baroque master Mattia Bortoloni. Casinos don’t get much grander or decadent than that!

 

The opera composer Richard Wagner, best known for the piece Ride of the Valkyries, died of a heart attack there in 1883, and the venue now has a museum in his name, where guests can view the largest collection of Wagner’s work, including personal letters, manuscripts, notes, and much more.

 

The Casinò di Venezia was also the scene of a massive heist in 2010 when a criminal gang took advantage of the casino’s success and affluent guests to rob it of €100,000, ditching their getaway car to escape by boat.

 

The grand building has retained its underrated beauty, and while it might be as flashy as some other casinos, it still brings in a constant stream of billionaires and celebrities, all eager to take a seat at the many live tables, playing Poker, Blackjack, Roulette, and more.

 

Kurhaus Baden-Baden

 

Nestled in a picturesque setting just outside the Black Forest in the southwest of Germany is Kurhaus Baden-Baden, which dates back to 1766 and was the ‘Kurhaus’ or ‘cure house’, a home for noble families and the French Marquis.

 

Designed by Friedrich Weinbrenner, the classical-style building has a French-inspired interior and is notable for the Corinthian columns and two gryphons that watch over the grand entrance.

 

The Kurhaus Baden-Baden gained attention and rose to fame during the 1830s when gambling was outlawed in France, prompting the affluent citizens of Europe to flock to the casino to gamble and socialise. They were entertained by the most famous musicians of the time, such as Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms, and Clara Schumann.

 

The casino inspired Fyodor Dostoyevsky to write The Gambler, while Marlene Dietrich famously said that it was “the most beautiful casino in the world”.

 

In more modern times, the casino has played host to the world’s wealthy and elite, including world leaders such as Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, Silvio Berlusconi, and Nicolas Sarkozy, who also enjoy taking in the beautifully landscaped gardens, spa resort, and the philharmonic orchestra.

 

Crockfords Club

 

While Brits have long enjoyed gambling, the first legal gambling establishments in the UK were opened in the 19th century and were men-only, private, members-only clubs. Crockfords Club in London was built in 1826 and became the place to be for the aristocracy to meet, socialise, and gamble.

 

The club was opened by William Crockford, with a helping hand from the Duke of Wellington, and it soon became the only place to be seen by the British elite and prominent, affluent foreigners.

 

Crockfords Club is still going strong and is still one of the world’s most exclusive gambling clubs, unlike Coral Island Casino, it is not a place where anyone can simply walk in, but an exclusive experience in the most refined surroundings.

 

Gambling is in private rooms, and typically only high-stakes games, all in the same opulent rooms as when the club first opened, but now with a contemporary modern flair.

 

Golden Gate Casino

 

Long before Las Vegas became Sin City and the world’s hottest spot for entertainment, it was little more than a desert outpost with little to speak of. However, it was the remote location of Las Vegas that became the key to the success of casinos and gambling in Vegas, as it was difficult for the authorities to enforce the gambling ban. Some venues even sold alcohol during the Prohibition.

 

The Golden Gate Casino opened its doors in 1906 and is the oldest gambling establishment in Las Vegas. Originally, the building had 10’x’10 gaming rooms, which were considered the height of opulence at the time.

 

It remains one of the Las Vegas Strip’s most iconic venues, with more than £10 million spent on renovations to transform it into the luxury casino that it is today, drawing in people from all around the world

 

Coral Island Casino

 

Okay, we might not be one of the most famous or oldest casinos in the world, but at Coral Island Casino you don’t have to be a member to enjoy a genuine casino experience, live Blackjack and Roulette tables and all the latest slots, we don’t have a ‘men-only’ policy, and you don’t have to be part of the aristocracy or a billionaire celebrity.

 

But we do have a famously warm welcome, a comfortable bar and lounge, friendly faces, and we’re right in the heart of Blackpool. So why not come and visit if you’d like to experience a casino for the first time?

---