Casino Roulette: Churchill’s Gambling Story

Even the greatest of minds cannot stay immune to vices. Take, for instance, Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill - a charismatic leader, speaker and writer. History credits Churchill with leading Great Britain into the WW2 against the “forces of evil”. Despite the change in era, Churchill’s popularity remains intact, as he was voted as the best Briton ever in a recent poll.

However, as night beckoned, Churchill’s adventurous alter-ego got the better of him. He frequented luxury casinos across London to indulge in drinking and roulette game. Reportedly, Churchill would wager unto wee hours reluctant to call it quits even in wake of heavy loses. His stubbornness accounted for him loosing millions in a single session of mindless wagering. It’s said, Adolf Hitler couldn’t defeat Churchill but champagne and gambling nearly did.

Whether Winston Churchill makes for a good gambling inspiration is debatable. But he was the protagonist of an interesting story that stretched across decades and summed up him as a gambler. The story had a recent resurgence with academics and investigative journalists keen on uncovering the less-documented facets of the life and times of Churchill.

The story:

The story unfolded in August 1939. The site was Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo. Churchill frequented this luxury hotel in the picturesque town in South of France since the dawn of the 20th century. Back then, he was an established writer and speaker raking in 100.000 pounds monthly. (The amount is adjusted for the present day conversion rates).

Churchill entered the Hotel de Paris casino one fine evening in August 1939 in anticipation of a relaxing time. His idea of a relaxation was to revel and gamble. After a few rounds of casino roulette, Churchill’s luck ran out, and he found himself amidst a never ending loosing spree. Instead of cutting his loses and moving on, he preferred to wager till the wee hours.

The casino director went to Churchill and requested him to quit. But Churchill didn’t pay heed to his words and continued with his indulgent ways. When the session ended, Churchill had accumulated one of the biggest debts of his wagering career, which he promised to pay the next morning. But as fate would have it, Churchill was rushed back to London the next morning amidst the growing possibility of a war. The debt, thus, remained unpaid for the time being.

The next leg of the story unfolded post-WW2. By now, Churchill was voted out of the office of the Prime Minister. He devoted his time to some literary pursuits, penning his war memoirs and biography. The traded the rights of literary works for a hefty sum. In a twist of events, Churchill would revisit the Hotel de Paris in 1945. This time, he was here to inaugurate a wine cellar.

The events played out the same way as on the fateful night of August 1939. Churchill went deep into the night drinking and wagering mindlessly. With loses amounting, the manager yet again approached Churchill and asked him to quit. But this time, Churchill didn’t promise to pay. Instead, he paid the entire debt acquired before and after the WW2. However, the hotel management decided against redeeming the cheque worth 1,300,000 Francs.

The cheque is showcased in the casino as recognition of Churchill’s role in the war effort.

Had Churchill been alive to see the digital revolution, he would have been hooked to online roulette.