History of casinos in Europe: Before the establishment of casinos in Europe, gambling games were conducted on the streets, in homes, or in private clubs. The amount of money that could be won was limited to the funds of the individual players. By the 17th century however, gambling became formalized, with special venues that offered players the opportunity to bet against the "house", which would act as banker, paying out all winnings and retaining losing bets. This gave players the advantage of potentially winning more money than they bet. Several famous casinos exist in Europe. The oldest, Baden Baden in Germany, was opened in 1748 by Edouard Benazet. Despite several closures in its history, the Baden Baden casino still operates today. Another, The casino at Spa, a Belgian resort town noted for its mineral baths, was built by the Prince Bishop of the province of Liege in 1763. In 1857 no expense was spared on the "belle epoque building" casino which was created by a number of architects, among them Charles Garnier, designer of the Paris Opera House. In the early 20th century Monte Carlo Casino quickly became a fashionable destination for the rich and famous of the day, including the director of the "Ballet Russe" in Paris, Sergei Diaghalev, Britain's King Edward VII, and the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso.
Betbay’s European casino directory includes information pages on the top casinos in Europe. Casino directory pages include: general casino information, casino features, casino amenities, casino reviews, promotions, and links to the casino web sites. Casinos in Europe include: casinos in the United Kingdom, casinos in France, casinos in Ireland, casinos in Germany, casinos in Greece, casinos in Denmark, casinos in Switzerland, casinos in Sweden, casinos in Finland, and casinos in Portugal, and casinos in Austria.