Legal casino gambling age in Monaco
Monaco is one of the oldest and best-known casino jurisdictions in the world, yet its gambling law is unusually narrow. Games of chance may be offered only in “gaming houses” authorised by sovereign ordinance under Law No. 1.103 of 12 June 1987 on games of chance, and in practice the only authorised operator is the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM), which has held the privilege of running the Principality’s casinos since 1863. The same law forbids Monegasque citizens, and State and municipal officials, from taking part in the games. Monegasque law contains no licensing regime for online casinos, and a draft bill on online games reported in 2026 had not been enacted at the time of review.
Key points
- Law No. 1.103 of 12 June 1987 on games of chance is the core statute. It requires an authorisation by sovereign ordinance for any gaming house and sets access rules, supervision and penalties.
- The Société des Bains de Mer holds the gaming privilege and operated two casinos in Monaco in its 2025/2026 financial year. The State of Monaco is its majority shareholder.
- Under Article 11 of the 1987 law, Monegasques and public officials may not take part in the games in gaming houses. The minimum age for entry is 18.
- No Monegasque law licenses online casino games. A draft bill (reported as No. 722) to define and regulate online games had not been enacted as of October 2026.
- SBM pays the State a royalty (redevance) on gaming receipts, stated as 17% for 2025/2026. Monaco levies no general personal income tax on individuals.
- Monaco was placed on the FATF “grey list” in June 2024. In June 2026 the FATF found that it had substantially completed its action plan, pending an on-site visit.
Last reviewed: 7 October 2026.
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Historical development
Gambling was adopted in Monaco as a deliberate economic policy. The Princely Government’s own history of the period, Economic miracle, explains that Prince Charles III sought new sources of income after the Principality lost most of its territory in the mid-19th century, and turned to aristocratic tourism built on sea bathing and gambling. A first gaming concession was granted in 1856. In 1863 the concession passed to François Blanc, who had already made a success of a casino in Germany.
The Société des Bains de Mer et du Cercle des Étrangers was established by sovereign order on 2 April 1863, and Blanc received a 50-year monopoly over gambling for a payment of 1.7 million gold francs (SBM overview). The concession was not only a right to run games: according to the government’s history page, the company’s charter obliged it to provide public services such as water and gas supply, road building, transport links with Nice and Menton and the publication of an official journal.
SBM has kept the gaming privilege ever since. Its 2026 universal registration document describes the group as the holder of the “Privilège d’exploiter les jeux en Principauté de Monaco … depuis 1863” (SBM, Document d’enregistrement universel 2026). The company is listed on Euronext Paris and the Government of Monaco holds about 59.47% of its capital (SBM overview). The modern statutory framework was laid down in 1987, when Law No. 1.103 replaced older rules and Sovereign Ordinance No. 8.929 of 15 July 1987 set out its implementing measures.
Legal framework
Law No. 1.103 of 12 June 1987 on games of chance
The principal statute is Law No. 1.103 of 12 June 1987 on games of chance (loi relative aux jeux de hasard), published on the official legislation portal Legimonaco. Its starting point is the Criminal Code: Article 1 provides that the authorisation referred to in Article 350 of the Criminal Code “to establish or keep a house of games of chance” may be granted only on the conditions set by the law. In other words, running games of chance is unlawful unless it is authorised. The main provisions are:
- Authorisation (Articles 1 to 5). A gaming house may be opened only under a sovereign ordinance that names the holder, the premises and the number of gaming tables and automatic machines authorised, accompanied by a specifications document (cahier des charges). Article 5 disapplies some of these corporate conditions for “the beneficiaries of a monopoly granted by sovereign ordinance for the operation of games of chance”, which reflects SBM’s position.
- Staff (Articles 6 to 8). Gaming-house employees need administrative approval. They may not play, lend money to players or frequent gaming rooms outside working hours without permission.
- Access (Articles 9 to 11). Entry is forbidden to persons under 18, members of the armed forces in uniform and ministers of religion, among others. Article 10 provides for the exclusion of persons who request it in writing. Article 11 bars Monegasques and public officials from playing (see below).
- Equipment and payment (Articles 12 to 14). Only approved gaming equipment may be used, and stakes must be paid in legal tender or in chips issued by the house; betting on credit is prohibited.
- Oversight (Articles 15 to 17). The law establishes a Gaming Commission and a gaming control service within the Department of Finance and Economy. Administrative approvals are issued by the Minister of State.
- Offences (Articles 18 to 23). The law sets penalties of imprisonment and fines for employing unapproved staff, using unapproved equipment, obstructing inspections, forming player associations, using systems to alter results and bringing electronic devices into gaming rooms. A conviction can lead to the withdrawal of the authorisation.
The version on Legimonaco records one amendment, by Law No. 1.261 of 23 December 2002, which changed Article 9 on the age limit. Neither the statute nor any amendment found on Legimonaco deals with internet or remote gambling.
Implementing ordinances
Sovereign Ordinance No. 8.929 of 15 July 1987 implements the law. It deals with the approval of access conditions, exclusion measures and the Gaming Commission. Legimonaco records a series of amending ordinances, from 1991 to 2009; those of 2006 and 2008 replaced Article 1 and extended the list of authorised games, for example to Texas Hold’em poker variants.
International context
Monaco is not a member of the European Union. It is a member of MONEYVAL, the Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering evaluation body, and is assessed against the standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Those standards treat casinos as a higher-risk sector, which is why anti-money laundering law is an important part of the casino framework (see below).
Regulator and licensing model
Monaco operates a monopoly model, meaning that a single operator holds the exclusive right to offer casino games, rather than a licensing model in which any qualifying company may apply. The legal basis for the monopoly is the combination of the general prohibition in the Criminal Code, the authorisation regime of Law No. 1.103 and the sovereign ordinances that grant the privilege to SBM.
Supervision is shared between three bodies:
- The Gaming Commission (Commission des jeux), created by Article 15 of the 1987 law. Under Article 12 of Sovereign Ordinance No. 8.929 it consists of seven persons appointed for three years by sovereign ordinance, meets at least once a quarter and has free access to the gaming houses and their surveillance systems. It advises on matters concerning the operation of the games.
- The Gaming Control Service (Service de Contrôle des Jeux), part of the Department of Finance and Economy. The Princely Government describes its role as supervising the functioning of gaming houses, carrying out investigations, inspecting gaming operations, monitoring access controls and ensuring that games and employees’ conduct meet the required conditions. Its officers may act under the authority of the Public Prosecutor when offences are found.
- The Minister of State, who issues the administrative approvals required by the law (Article 17), including approval of staff, equipment and access rules.
There is no public licensing round and no published fee schedule, because there is no open market. According to SBM’s 2026 registration document, the group operated two casinos in its 2025/2026 financial year: the Casino de Monte-Carlo and the Casino Café de Paris. MONEYVAL’s 2022 evaluation recorded three casinos at the end of 2020 (MONEYVAL, Mutual Evaluation Report: Monaco, 2022). SBM’s results announcement of 9 June 2026 reported consolidated revenue of EUR 861.6 million for 2025/2026, of which the gaming sector contributed EUR 259.6 million, up 20% on the previous year (SBM annual results 2025/2026).
Online gambling
Monaco has no legal framework for online casinos. Law No. 1.103 regulates physical “gaming houses” and says nothing about gambling over the internet. No Monegasque authority issues online gambling licences, and no operator is authorised to offer online casino games from or into Monaco under Monegasque law. SBM’s own gaming activity, as described in its 2026 registration document, is land-based.
Local press has reported a draft bill, referred to as Projet de loi No. 722, that would amend the gaming law. According to Hello Monaco (2026), the draft would define online games, require authorisation for online gambling, set rules for online payments, require operators’ infrastructure to be located in Monaco and use the .mc domain, and extend the prohibition on Monegasques playing to online games. This guide could not consult the text of the bill on the National Council’s website, so these details are reported as the publication’s account. As of October 2026 no online gaming law had been published on Legimonaco.
Offshore operators and enforcement
Because there is no online licensing regime, any online casino accessible from Monaco is operating without Monegasque authorisation. The sources reviewed for this guide do not show a Monegasque list of blocked gambling websites, an internet service provider blocking order or payment-blocking rules aimed at online gambling, and no enforcement action against an offshore online casino was found.
The French context
Monaco is surrounded by France and many visitors and residents are familiar with the French system, so the difference is worth stating. In France, the Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ) licenses online sports betting, horse-race betting and poker; online casino games such as slots and roulette are not among the licensed categories (ANJ, list of licensed operators). An ANJ licence authorises an offer to players in France. Nothing in the sources reviewed suggests that it confers any authorisation under Monegasque law, and the French regime does not apply to Monaco’s own territory.
Position of players
The 1987 law draws a sharp line between visitors and Monegasques. For foreign visitors, playing in SBM’s casinos is lawful, subject to the minimum age of 18, the casino’s access conditions and any exclusion. For Monegasque citizens, Article 11 of Law No. 1.103 provides:
“Les Monégasques, les fonctionnaires et agents de l’État, de la Commune et des établissements publics ne peuvent, dans les maisons de jeux, participer à ceux-ci.” (Monegasques, and officials and employees of the State, the Commune and public establishments, may not take part in the games in gaming houses.)
Two points of precision follow from the wording. First, the prohibition applies to Monegasque nationals and to public officials, not to foreign residents of Monaco as such; some secondary sources describe it as a ban on “residents”, which is not what the statute says. Second, the prohibition is framed around “gaming houses”, meaning physical premises. It does not, on its terms, extend to online gambling.
For online play, no provision of Monegasque law identified in this review makes it an offence for an individual to gamble with an offshore online casino, and no prosecutions or fines of players were found. That is not the same as saying such play is lawful or protected: the operator holds no Monegasque authorisation, players have no local regulator to complain to, and if the reported draft bill were enacted it would extend the prohibition on Monegasques to online games.
Taxation
Operators
SBM does not pay a gaming tax in the sense used in most licensing regimes. Instead, under the terms of its privilege, it pays the State a royalty (redevance), meaning a percentage of the gross receipts from the games. SBM’s 2026 registration document states that the group bore “une redevance de 17 % sur les recettes de jeux” in 2025/2026, compared with 15% recorded in its 2018/2019 document (SBM, Document de référence 2018/2019). SBM itself notes that this is below the level of levies on French casinos, which it puts at more than 50% of gross gaming revenue. Gross gaming revenue (GGR) means the amount staked by players minus winnings paid out. The State also benefits as SBM’s majority shareholder.
Players
Monaco levies no general income tax on individuals (Economy of Monaco overview), and no tax on gambling winnings was identified in the sources reviewed. Visitors may nevertheless owe tax on winnings in their own country of residence, and readers should take advice on their own position.
Anti-money laundering
Casinos are “obliged entities” under Law No. 1.362 of 3 August 2009 on combating money laundering, the financing of terrorism and of weapons proliferation, and corruption. Article 1 lists among the entities subject to the law “les maisons de jeux et tous prestataires de services de jeux d’argent et de hasard” (gaming houses and all providers of gambling services). Article 10 requires customer identification when customers buy or exchange chips or plaques for amounts at or above thresholds set by sovereign ordinance. The consolidated text on Legimonaco (version of 22 November 2025; most recent amending act Law No. 1.565 of 3 December 2024) assigns supervision to the Autorité monégasque de sécurité financière (AMSF).
MONEYVAL’s fifth-round evaluation, based on an on-site visit in February and March 2022 and adopted on 8 December 2022, rated the casino sector as presenting a risk “very close to high” because of significant vulnerability and a high and growing threat. It reported that about 90% of casino transactions were paid in cash and that the number of suspicious transaction reports filed by casinos was still limited (MONEYVAL 2022). At the time, casinos were supervised by SICCFIN, the predecessor body. A first enhanced follow-up report was adopted in December 2024 (MONEYVAL, Monaco country page).
In June 2024 the FATF placed Monaco under “increased monitoring”, commonly called the grey list, after the Principality made a high-level political commitment to address deficiencies identified by MONEYVAL. The Princely Government committed to a six-point action plan covering, among other things, the understanding of risk relating to tax fraud committed abroad, sanctions for anti-money laundering breaches, resources for the financial intelligence unit and the seizure of criminal assets. As a consequence, the European Commission announced on 10 June 2025 that it would add Monaco to the EU’s list of high-risk third countries (Monaco Life, 11 June 2025).
Consumer protection and responsible gambling
Monaco’s protection measures are built into the casino law rather than into a separate harm-reduction statute:
- Minimum age: entry to gaming houses is forbidden to persons under 18 (Article 9 of Law No. 1.103).
- Exclusion: under Article 10, persons who apply in writing are excluded from the gaming houses, in accordance with rules set by sovereign ordinance. Ordinance No. 8.929 also allows exclusions to be imposed and withdrawn, subject to administrative approval. This is a casino-level exclusion; no national, cross-operator register for online gambling exists, since there is no licensed online market.
- Access control: the casino’s access conditions must be approved by the authorities, and the Gaming Control Service monitors their application.
- Staff rules: employees may not lend money to players or play themselves (Articles 7 and 8).
No dedicated Monegasque gambling helpline was identified for this guide. French-speaking players can use Joueurs Info Service, the French national gambling helpline run under Santé publique France, on 09 74 75 13 13, open 8am to 2am every day; calls are anonymous and charged at no more than a local rate from France. General guidance on recognising and managing gambling harm is available in our responsible gambling guide.
Recent and upcoming developments
- MONEYVAL progress (June 2025). At a joint FATF-MONEYVAL meeting in Strasbourg on 13 June 2025, the actions due by that date were considered largely addressed in the first review of its action plan, according to Monaco Tribune (16 June 2025).
- EU high-risk list (2025). Following the FATF listing, the European Commission announced the addition of Monaco to the EU list of high-risk third countries on 10 June 2025.
- FATF determination (June 2026). At its plenary of June 2026 the FATF made “the initial determination that Monaco has substantially completed its action plan and warrants an on-site assessment” (FATF, Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring – June 2026). The Princely Government said the date of the on-site visit had not yet been fixed. Monaco therefore remained on the grey list at the time of review.
- October 2026 plenary. The compliance firm Sumsub reported in September 2026 that Monaco could be removed from the list at the FATF plenary concluding on 30 October 2026, while noting that no final decision had been made and that removal requires the agreement of FATF members (Sumsub, 18 September 2026). Removal had not happened at the time of review.
- Online gaming bill. The draft bill reported as No. 722 on online games was described in 2026 as pending. Its content and timetable should be checked against the National Council’s records once published.
Casino listings for players in Monaco
The listings below are generated automatically from our casino database and do not by themselves show that an operator is authorised in Monaco. Monaco has no licensing regime for online casinos and no published register of authorised online operators; the only authorised gaming operator is SBM, for its land-based casinos, under Law No. 1.103. The listings must not be read as an indication that offering or playing online casino games is authorised under Monegasque law, and Monegasque nationals are barred from playing in the Principality’s gaming houses.
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Sources and further reading
- Principality of Monaco, Legimonaco, Law No. 1.103 of 12 June 1987 on games of chance (consolidated version) (accessed 7 October 2026).
- Principality of Monaco, Legimonaco, Sovereign Ordinance No. 8.929 of 15 July 1987 implementing Law No. 1.103 (accessed 7 October 2026).
- Principality of Monaco, Legimonaco, Law No. 1.362 of 3 August 2009 on combating money laundering, the financing of terrorism and proliferation, and corruption (consolidated version) (accessed 7 October 2026).
- Princely Government of Monaco, Gambling Authority (Service de Contrôle des Jeux) (accessed 7 October 2026).
- Princely Government of Monaco, Economic miracle: inventing Monte-Carlo, 1860 to 1920 (accessed 7 October 2026).
- Princely Government of Monaco, Monaco added to the FATF’s grey list: the Prince’s Government commits to being removed from this list (2024).
- Princely Government of Monaco, FATF plenary reaches preliminary conclusion that Monaco has substantially completed its action plan (June 2026).
- Financial Action Task Force, Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring – June 2026 (2026).
- MONEYVAL, Council of Europe, Monaco: country page and evaluation reports (accessed 7 October 2026).
- MONEYVAL, Council of Europe, Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures: Monaco, Fifth Round Mutual Evaluation Report (2022).
- Société des Bains de Mer, Document d’enregistrement universel 2026 (financial year ended 31 March 2026) (2026).
- Société des Bains de Mer, Annual results 2025/2026, press release of 9 June 2026 (2026).
- Société des Bains de Mer, Document de référence 2018/2019 (2019).
- Autorité nationale des jeux (France), Opérateurs agréés (accessed 7 October 2026).
- Santé publique France, Joueurs Info Service (accessed 7 October 2026).
- Monaco Tribune, FATF: Monaco over first hurdle towards coming off the grey list (16 June 2025).
- Monaco Life, Monaco added to EU’s money laundering watchlist amid FATF alignment efforts (11 June 2025).
- Sumsub, Monaco, Bulgaria and Côte d’Ivoire tipped to leave FATF grey list (18 September 2026).
- Hello Monaco, The State of Online Casinos in Monaco in 2026 (2026, accessed 7 October 2026).
- Wikipedia, Société des bains de mer de Monaco (accessed 7 October 2026).
- Wikipedia, Economy of Monaco (accessed 7 October 2026).
