The Casino de Monte-Carlo in Monaco’s famed French Riviera is one of the world’s oldest and iconic casinos.
Owned and operated by the Société des Bains de Mer, a publicly traded gaming company headquartered in Monaco, the Monte-Carlo Casino announced Monday a new partnership with Crystal Cruises.
Formerly a subsidiary of Genting Hong Kong, the parent organization of the Resorts World casino brand, until the cruise line entered bankruptcy during the COVID-19 pandemic, Crystal emerged under new ownership in 2022. Italian billionaire Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio and his private equity firm, Heritage Group, bought Crystal’s two vessels for $128 million.
Today, Crystal and the Société des Bains de Mer revealed that a strategic partnership between the two entities was signed last month that will bring a Monte-Carlo-branded casino to the Crystal Symphony ship.
Casino Cruise
Société des Bains de Mer and Crystal Cruise reps tell Casino.org that a renovation of the Symphony will be completed to include a Monte-Carlo casino. The space will offer an assortment of table games, including blackjack, three-card poker, Texas Hold’em, and roulette, plus slot machines.
We are delighted to welcome Casino de Monte-Carlo into the Crystal family as our newest collaborator,” said Lefebvre. “This affiliation symbolizes our commitment to offering our guests the finest entertainment and gaming experiences available at sea. Together, we aim to create unforgettable moments and continue to set new standards of excellence in the cruise industry.”
Casino.org broke the news in September that Crystal was in the early planning stages of returning casinos to its ships. Crystal reps said guest surveys found a strong desire for gambling, and the company had “engaged a casino concession company to draw up plans for its configuration and costs.”
Crystal Symphony made her maiden voyage in May 1995. The cruise ship has 12 decks with capacity for 606 passengers and nearly 500 crew members. The luxury cruise vessel features 11 restaurants and bars, a theatre, a piano lounge, two nightclubs, a full-service spa and fitness center, retail shopping, and a library. Every guestroom and suite has at least an ocean view, with most including balconies.
The first Crystal Symphony cruise with a Monte-Carlo Casino sets sail on Nov. 14, 2024, from Venice. It will mark the first international expansion of gaming for Société des Bains de Mer.
Monte-Carlo History
Opened in July 1865, the Casino de Monte-Carlo was envisioned by Princess Caroline as a way to generate new revenue for the House of Grimaldi, the house that continues to reign the Principality of Monaco to this day. The Government of Monaco maintains a majority ownership stake in Société des Bains de Mer with a 59.5% position.
The venue is perhaps best associated with James Bond, the fictional movie character who visited the casino in the Hollywood films “Never Say Never Again” (1983) and “GoldenEye” (1995). Bond during those films was respectively played by actors Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan.
Park MGM on the Las Vegas Strip was previously known as the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. Monte Carlo opened in June 1996, with its design based on the Monaco property. MGM Resorts in 2016 announced it would renovate and rebrand the property to Park MGM, a smoke-free casino.
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