Casino du Liban

Casino du Liban holds the singular distinction of being the only legally licensed casino in the Middle East's Arabic-speaking world, a position it has occupied since its 1959 opening on the cliffs above the Bay of Jounieh, 20 km north of Beirut. The concession, granted by the Lebanese government, has been renewed repeatedly and gives CDL a complete monopoly on casino gaming within the country.

At its pre-crisis peak, the casino was one of the most glamorous in the Mediterranean region — a terraced complex with spectacular sea views, a theatre seating over 1,000 (which hosted Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and virtually every major international entertainer of the 1960s and 1970s), and a gaming floor known for its opulence and its jet-set clientele from across the Arab world and Europe.

Lebanon's economic collapse from 2019 onwards and the devastating Beirut port explosion of August 2020 have severely curtailed operations. The casino has operated at reduced capacity since, though it remains open and continues to draw visitors from Lebanon's resilient tourism sector and the Lebanese diaspora. The full restoration of normal operations is tied to the broader recovery of Lebanon's economy.