Casino Maltese – Club History and Brief Timeline
The Casino Maltese in Valletta was founded on 1st March 1852, with the motto ‘Omnibus Idem’ (Latin – ‘same for all’) and the goal to unite and entertain its members. The club was first located on Valletta’s main street, in the Chamber of Commerce’s Exchange Building.
| 18th Century | The Casino Maltese building was used as the Treasury (Casa del Commun Tesoro). |
| 19th Century | During the first half of the century, the Chief Secretary’s office and the Treasury, as well as the Post Office were located in the building. In the 1880s, the venue was turned into the Grand Hotel. |
| 20th Century | The Casino Maltese in Valletta was established at its current premises. |
The Maltese casino occupied its current premises – on Republic Street between 1859 and 1877 and then again from 1901 till today. From the table above, you can see a short timeline of the history of the Casino Maltese’s magnificent building. It was originally built by the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta in the 17th century and was used as a Treasury. Furthermore, the venue is regulated and monitored by the Malta Gaming Authority.
The Maltese Casino – Top Entertainment Venue
The Casino Maltese on Republic Street is a well-known party venue that hosts all types of events year-round. It is often a chosen destination for shows, art exhibitions, weddings and other private events, book launches, lectures, etc. Of course, no entertainment venue would be complete without a casino of its own. It gives you that highly rewarding experience and the chance to win some money. But, most importantly, this little escape from the daily routine is super fun and exciting.
Even though the Casino Maltese in Malta is not that big, it boasts a fine billiard room with an antique playing table, always kept in perfect condition. The good news, is that whether or not you’re a member of the club, you’ll still be able to visit and enjoy it. The Casino Maltese billiard room can be booked for a game with family and friends, and is also available to all its members. Moreover, there are various competitions held throughout the year.
Overall, the Casino Maltese in Valetta is an ideal place to catch up with friends and even make new ones while enjoying a good play. Still, you won’t find here the usual slot machines, roulette tables, or even sports betting options like the ones present at the top Maltese betting sites. It’s more of a limited experience to take advantage of while on your little adventure in this outstanding historical place, whose heritage and beauty will absolutely entice you.
The Casino Maltese – A Historical Venue of the Highest Standard
The Casino Maltese in Valletta offers a range of facilities to its members, but not only. Some of the rooms, as well as all its facilities, can be hired for private events – something which can’t be seen at the the best online casino sites in Malta for 2023. The large halls, ballrooms, and splendid surroundings can provide the perfect setting for any special event. Stay tuned because, in this paragraph, we’ll tell you about the property, and its lovely spaces, one by one.
Right when you enter, you see a large, light entrance hall with a lovely staircase that branches off into two.
- The Foyer
At the foot of the Club’s grand staircase is the Foyer. A comfortable seating area for members, with marble floors, velvet olive green couches, dark wooden tables, and of course, an intricate fireplace in the centre. Just off the grand staircase, on the first floor, are two of the main reception rooms: The Ballroom and the Presidents Room.
- The Presidents Room
The President’s Room of Casino Maltese in Malta is an elegant, large room on the first floor, surrounded by delightful portraits of the former presidents. The space is super comfortable and cosy, often used by members and guests to relax in silence while enjoying a good book, a cup of tea, or a little snack. There’s free wi-fi, magazines, and newspapers. It’s a lovely venue to catch up with friends or perhaps enjoy a game of chess or cards.
- The Ballroom
The Casino Maltese’s Ballroom is a warm and spacious venue, lit by alluring Murano chandeliers, with beautiful ceiling and parquet floor. The surrounding balcony offers an awesome view of the square. The space is perfect for different types of events like dinners, concerts, the Casino Maltese wedding receptions, lectures, business meetings, soirées, etc. Beyond the Ballroom lie the Dining Room and the smaller Princess Room, named after the visit of Queen Elizabeth II when she was still a princess.
- The Dining Room
The dining room, with its high ceilings, crystal chandeliers and warm wooden floor, topped up with an enticing view overlooking St George’s Square, can be used as a quiet workspace, but also for meetings. Furthermore, it allows you to order coffee and refreshments from the Casino Maltese restaurant. For some members, it is an ‘office away from the office’. Additionally, the Old Dining Room is frequently booked to host larger private events as well.
- The Princess Room
The Princess’ Room name comes from the Princess, later Queen Elizabeth II’s visit in 1949, when she lived in Malta. This charming room has balconies overlooking the heart of the city, both St George’s Square and Republic Square. Its blue walls and cute décor make it one of the Club’s finest and most favoured rooms, often used to host private events.
- The Courtyard Bar
The Courtyard Bar is a fabulous open space with high arched doors, ornate roman columns, and marble floors. Here, you can enjoy fine coffee and tea or have a bite to eat away from all the city noise. The central space – the tastefully refurbished bar offers an excellent collection of spirits and wines. The Courtyard Bar of Casino Maltese on Republic Street opens at 8 a.m. and has a delicious menu of light meals, such as salads and sandwiches, throughout the day. It usually closes at 5 p.m., except for Fridays, when it works till 9 p.m.
- The 1921 Dining Room
The 1921 room is the members’ dining room, where lunch is served daily. It offers a full menu and an extensive wine list, all at Club prices and with exceptional service. There’s also the so-called members’ table, where members can meet and join other members for a convivial conversation.
- The Crown Princes’ Room
This room is often used as a private boardroom or as a dining room. However, it can also be used for lectures, or talks for small groups of up to 25 people.
- The Reading Room
The Casino Maltese Reading Room is a members-only area on the ground floor, where members can relax and escape for a quiet read or conversation.
The Casino Maltese Private Events
The Casino Maltese in Valletta is an amazing location for weddings, private dinners and parties, cultural and social events, such as lectures, shows, exhibitions, launches, as well as business meetings and events. Its beautiful interior, great location, and stunning views over Valletta’s main square make it a worthy location to consider.
For maximum convenience, down below, we have prepared a short table where you can look at the Casino Maltese main venues and their capacity. Also note that if requested, catering can be provided too, delivered by Corinthia Caterers.
| Room | Round Tables | Long Tables | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Ballroom | 180 pax | 210 pax | 300 pax |
| The Presidents’ Room | 120 pax | 180 pax | 280 pax |
| The Princess’ Room | 50 pax | 60 pax | 80 pax |
| The Dining Room | 140 pax | 140 pax | 200 pax |
The Casino Maltese Membership
The Casino Maltese membership presents access to a superb historic building, along with all its facilities. It is a sweet escape from the bustle of Valletta, with its chic Courtyard bar, restaurant, reading room, and fine selection of luxurious rooms, where you can relax, meet friends, organise events, and have fun.
Luckily, ballots are held regularly throughout the year, so new members can join the Maltese casino club any time during the year. However, be aware that in order to become a member, you will need a recommendation of a proposer and a seconder from among the current members of the Casino Maltese club.
Last but not least, the Maltese Casino club on Republic street has reciprocal membership with some of the best clubs in the world. That means its members can use the facilities of these clubs as well, just through an introduction from the club’s secretary. Some of the reciprocating clubs on the list are:
- Union, University & Schools Club of Sydney 25 Bent Street, Sydney, Australia
- Wiener Rennverein Josefplatz 5 (Palais Pallavicini) A – 1010 Vienna, Austria
- The National Club 303, Bay Street, Toronto Ontario, Canada
- Club De Vina Del Mar Plaza Sucre 208-272, Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, Chile
- Beijing American Club, China Resources Building no.8, Jianguomen North Avenue, Beijing, China
- Cercle de l’Union 27 Place Bellecour, 69002 Lyon, France
- Der Club zu Bremen von 1783, Am Markt 13, 28195 Bremen, Germany
- Royal Dublin Society Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Ireland
- Circolo Artistico Tunnel, Via Garibaldi, 6, 16124 Genoa, Italy
- Societa del Giardino, Via San Paolo, 10, 20121 Milan, Italy
- Cercle Munster, 5-7, rue Munster, L-2160 Luxembourg
- Norske Selskab, Akersgaten 18, 0158 Oslo, Norway
- Casino de Madrid, Calle Alcala 15, 28014 Madrid, Spain
- Real Casino de Tenerife, Plaza de la Candelaria, 12, 38002 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
- Sällskapet, Arsenalsgatan, SE – 111 47 Stockholm, Sweden
- Carlton Club, 69, St.James’s Street, London SW1A 1PJ, UK
- The Eccentric Club, 27, Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX, UK
- The New Club, 86, Princes Street, Edinburgh EH2 2BB, UK
- Oriental Club, Stratford House, Stratford Place, London W1C 1ES, UK
- Cosmos Club 2121 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., USA
- Racquet Club of Philadelphia 16th Street, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- The University Club of Washington, D.C., 1135, Sixteenth Street, NW Washington, D.C., USA
The list really goes on and on. There are lots more venues on the Casino Maltese reciprocating clubs list throughout different countries and continents. The ones listed are just a few, but the complete listing is publicly available and can be found on the official Casino Maltese website.
FAQ
Hopefully, our Casino Maltese blog will provide you with helpful and interesting information on the subject. Still, the following is a brief faq section that we prepared. It is based on the most asked questions we received on the topic, so we believe it would be useful to look at further.