Spielbank Bad Homburg History - From the First Single-Zero Roulette to Online
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Spielbank Bad Homburg History
It is the oldest casino in Germany. This overview of Spielbank Bad Homburg history covers the original 1841 concession, the closure between 1872 and 1949, and the current state.
The Start
Landgrave Philipp of Hesse-Homburg granted the original concession in 1841 to twin brothers François and Louis Blanc. The agreement combined gambling rights with specific construction and lease obligations.
Concession Terms
The concession set out three terms:
- Concession length: thirty years
- Construction duty: build a new Kurhaus
- Land lease: take over the Landgrave's park
The casino opened on 23 May 1841, the same day Kurhaus construction began.
Single-Zero Roulette
Most European casinos at the time used a double-zero wheel. At Bad Homburg Casino, the Blanc brothers introduced a single-zero version, lowering the house edge compared to competitors. This became the standard roulette wheel across Europe. Prince Edward, later King Edward VII, visited Bad Homburg over thirty times from 1882, and the felt hat he wore there became known as the "Homburg".
From Homburg to Monaco
François Blanc used the Homburg concession as the basis for a second casino deal that became the basis for the venue's nickname - mother of Monte Carlo.
The Monaco Concession
In 1863, François Blanc purchased a fifty-year gambling concession in Monaco for 1.7 million gold francs. He applied the same business model that had worked in Homburg, and the concession restored Monaco's finances.
Dostoevsky in Bad Homburg
Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky visited Bad Homburg Casino starting in 1863, where he played roulette regularly and lost heavily. In a letter to his wife, he wrote that he could live in the town if not for the roulette. He used these experiences as material for his novel The Gambler.
Closure Under Prussia
Landgrave Ferdinand died without an heir in 1866, and Prussia, where gambling was illegal, annexed Hesse-Homburg. The casino ran under a grace period before closing in 1872, and stayed shut until 1949.
Reopening and Current Concession
The casino reopened in 1949 in the Brunnensälchen, the same building where it first operated. In 2013, the concession went to public tender across the EU, and François-Blanc-Spielbank GmbH, owned by the city of Bad Homburg, won the contract. Renovation took place during regular closing hours, between 4am and noon, without interrupting operations. With the opening of the online platform, a new chapter in this story began.
What locals know
Visitors interested in the casino's history can walk five minutes into the Kurpark to see the Dostoevsky statue before entering the casino itself.