Three F1 race weekends sit on the doorstep of famous casinos. Here is what it costs to walk in, what to wear, what ID to bring and how much the cheapest tables ask for.
Monaco, Las Vegas and Singapore all put a casino within walking distance of the circuit, and plenty of travelling fans add a visit to their race weekend. The rules at the door are very different, though. One charges an entry fee, two will not let you play until you are 21, and race-week crowds can push table minimums well above what you would pay on a quiet night. If you are planning a visit, treat it like any other night out: decide your budget before you go and stick to it.
Monaco: Casino de Monte-Carlo
The Casino de Monte-Carlo sits on Place du Casino, one of the corners of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit, so on race weekend you may need to check access around the track closures before you plan a visit. Entry to the gaming rooms costs €20 from 2pm, and that includes €10 you can spend on the slot machines, at the bar or in the Le Salon Rose restaurant (Monte-Carlo SBM). If you only want to see the building, morning heritage visits run from 10am to 1pm, also €20 for adults.
You must be 18 or over and bring a physical passport. Photocopies and phone photos are turned away. The dress code is enforced at the door: no shorts, ripped jeans, sportswear, trainers, flip-flops or vest tops in the gaming rooms, and no T-shirts or sweatshirts after 7pm. In practice that means packing trousers, a collared shirt and proper shoes rather than your team kit.
The casino does not publish table minimums online, and they can rise when the room is busy. Roulette tables post minimums from around €5, while blackjack and busier tables usually ask for more.
Las Vegas: The Strip casinos
The Las Vegas Grand Prix runs down the Strip itself, past Caesars Palace, the Bellagio and the Venetian, so you will not need to go looking for a casino. Walking onto a Strip casino floor costs nothing, and there is no ticket or membership to buy.
The age limit is the big difference from Monaco. Nevada law sets the minimum gambling age at 21, and casinos also stop under-21s loitering on the gaming floor, so younger fans can walk through but not stop and play. Bring your passport, as US casinos will not always accept a UK driving licence as proof of age. There is no formal dress code on the main floor at most Strip casinos, so race-day clothes are usually fine, although some high-limit rooms, restaurants and clubs set their own rules.
The real cost is at the tables. On a normal weekend, blackjack and roulette minimums on the Strip commonly start at around $15 to $25 a hand, and they can climb to $50 or more when the city is full, as it is on race weekend. Slots are the cheapest way to play, with some penny machines, although most need several lines or credits per spin.
Singapore: Marina Bay Sands
The Marina Bay Street Circuit loops around the bay, and the Marina Bay Sands casino, in the resort next to its shopping mall, is a short walk from the track. For a UK visitor, getting in is free. Singapore citizens and permanent residents pay a government levy of S$150 a day to enter, but foreign passport holders do not, which makes it the cheapest door of the three.
The catch is age. You must be 21 or over to enter any casino in Singapore, so fans aged 18 to 20 will be turned away whatever they are wearing. Bring your physical passport, because it proves both your age and that you are exempt from the levy. The dress code is smart casual: no vests, casual shorts, flip-flops or beachwear, and men are expected in long trousers and closed shoes. After a hot, humid night at the circuit, that usually means a change of clothes.
The casino is open 24 hours. Table minimums vary by game and time of day, and the cheapest tables fill quickly on race weekend.
Side by side
| At a glance | Monaco | Las Vegas | Singapore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry fee for UK visitors | €20 (includes €10 credit) | Free | Free |
| Minimum age | 18 | 21 | 21 |
| ID to bring | Physical passport | Passport | Physical passport |
| Dress code | Strict: no shorts, trainers or sportswear; no T-shirts after 7pm | Relaxed on the main floor | Smart casual: long trousers, closed shoes |
| Cheapest tables | From around €5 at roulette | Around $15 to $25, higher on race weekend | Varies by game |
For a fan aged 18 to 20, Monaco is the only one of the three where you can play at all. For UK visitors, Monaco has the only entry fee, but Las Vegas is likely to have the steepest table minimums on race weekend.
Watching from home instead
Most fans follow these races from the sofa, and the cost of playing is very different there. A single hand at a busy Strip table can cost more than the entire minimum deposit at a UK-licensed online casino, where £10 is a common starting point and some sites accept £5 or less. Guides to minimum deposit casinos compare these thresholds site by site, which helps if you want to keep the amount you put in small. A low deposit does not cap what you spend, though, because you can top up as often as you like.
That is why the tools matter more than the starting figure. Every UKGC-licensed site has to let you set a deposit limit and take a time-out, and you cannot use a credit card to gamble online in Great Britain. If you want a complete break, GamStop blocks you from every UK-licensed gambling site at once for six months, a year or five years, and it is free. If gambling has stopped being fun, for you or someone you know, the National Gambling Helpline run by GamCare is free and open 24 hours a day on 0808 8020 133.
The same habits work in Monaco, Vegas or Singapore. Set your casino budget before the weekend, take it in cash, and leave your cards at the hotel. Treat it as the price of a night out, like a meal or a club entry, not as a way to pay for the trip.
