Gambling was first legalized in 1863, seeing the first legal casino opened in the country. To start with, Monaco’s citizens are prohibited from gambling. This implies that the only people legally allowed to be at any casino are tourists, foreign nationals, or locals who work in casinos.
It is also noteworthy that most of the gambling laws used in Monaco are informal. The available laws only cover some gambling aspects such as:
- All citizens are not allowed to gamble
- The minimum gambling age is 18 years
- Regulation of the conduct of casino employees
- Authorizations
The Ministry of Finance and Economics regulates all casinos in Monaco through the Gambling Authority and the Department of Gambling Control. As such, any operator keen to set up a casino in the country must prove their commitment to local gambling laws before the permit is forwarded to the Prince of Monaco for authorization.
Gambling laws are usually subject to regular amendments. Most of these laws are meant to enhance player protection. A key change happened in 2020, which denied local casinos the right to claim gambling debts from players.
That said, it is worth noting that Monaco does not have any laws against online gambling. Would the online gaming situation change, it is highly likely that the new laws will limit online casino gaming to foreigners, though this law could be impossible to enforce.