The History of the Most Famous Beirut Casino – 1957 – 1975
The Casino Du Liban received its exclusive gaming license back in July of 1957 and opened its doors to the public in 1959. It is located on top of a rocky hill, from where it overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. During its construction, the engineers and works had to battle the uneven terrain and the fact that there was no access by vehicle, however, in the end, they managed to create a masterpiece. After the massive firework show that accompanied the official grand opening on 17 December 1959, newspapers, magazines and radios from around the world acknowledged the casino as the largest tourist establishment in the whole of the Middle East.
Throughout the 1960s, tourism was booming in Lebanon and the Casino Lebanon was the busiest place around. Because it was located on the gateway to the middle east, the venue was being visited by wealthy local residents as well as Arab and foreign businessmen. Just like an oasis in the middle of a desert, the Casino Du Liban was the place to stop, rest and relax, when travelling throughout the Middle East. It was such a popular destination that the Miss Europe contest was held there not once, but six times in a row. Unfortunately, the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war in 1975 lead to the closure of the casino.
The Rebirth of the Casino Lebanon – 1996 – Present Days
After a $50 million reconstruction and refurbishing, the Casino Du Liban once again opened its doors to the public. This happened in December 1996 and many high-key guests attended the ceremony, including the president of the Republic of Lebanon – Elias Hraoui. Well over a 1,000 VIPs enjoyed the endlessly flowing crystal champagne, caviar and martinis served on silver platters and a lot more. It did not take long before the Casino Di Liban once again regained its rightful place as the most legendary land-based casino in the whole of the Middle East.
Nowadays, it spreads across an area of well over 30, 000 square meters and features a restaurant and a bar. On the main gaming floor, you will find more than 400 video slot terminals whit a mix of classic player-favourite games and the latest, most recently released titles. Moreover, there are 60 playing tables, whit casino classics like roulette, baccarat, blackjack, craps, poker and many more. With such a diverse game collection and luxurious setting, it is no wonder that the long list of VIP guests includes the names of King Hussein of Jordan, Albert II, Prince of Monaco, the Shah of Iran, Aristotle Onassis, Omar Sharif and Osama bin Laden.
The Casino Du Liban Wedding Venue
If you decide to have a Casino Du Liban Wedding, you will have the option to choose between two venues. The first one is La Мartingale restaurant and we believe that it is by far your best option. It has everything that you may need for an exquisite wedding. According to their own word, the restaurant ‘with its modern piano bar, elegant burgundy décor, stylish wood panelling and breath-taking view of the Mediterranean Jounieh bay, the venue is a boutique location for your classy receptions’. And to be perfectly honest with you, we simply cannot agree more.
Your other option is the Terrasse where you can have a luxurious banquet, whilst overlooking the sea and enjoying the soft Mediterranean climate. It is perfect for those of you, who are looking for an open space for their special day. One of the best things about choosing the Casino Di Liban is that their experienced personnel is going to be at your disposal on every step of the planning process. What this means is that you are going to have a full control over the way the venue is going to be set up so that it is going to match even your wildest dreams.
Playing at an Online Casino Lebanon
Unfortunately, when it comes to registering or playing at an online casino, Lebanon does not offer any such option. As you may have guessed by now, offshore gambling in Lebanon in contrast to online gambling in the UK is outlawed by the government and there are no indications of change in the near future. The reason why this ban came about was that the government wanted to keep its monopoly on gambling. And that would not have been possible if foreign gaming sites were available, so naturally, they prohibited them.
The Casino Du Liban Controversy
In September 2017 the United States Embassy in Lebanon warned their staff and all-American citizens within the country not to visit the Casino Du Liban Beirut, because of unspecified threats. No specific information was shared with the public, though that wasn’t the first time that threats were posed against the legendary casino. Two years prior, in 2015, the government of Lebanon announced that the country’s security forces had prevented a terrorist attack that was supposed to take place on New Years Eve of 2014. The attack was linked to Al Qaeda and according to the information released to the media, a car bomb was going to be detonated outside the casino main entrance.
