Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was a man of many parts, a brilliant writer, exceptional speaker, an astute statesman, and connoisseur of all things classy. He is widely acknowledged for the way he led Great Britain’s war efforts against the Axis Powers in World War 2.
On the flip side, Churchill was given to wasteful and indulgent ways. He revelled and gambled all the life that left him indebted. While Churchill’s political exploits are well documented, his love for champagne and roulette game didn’t receive much press. However, his risky part of life is now being scrutinized by academics and investigative journalists in light of historical records.
The records speak of an interesting story that defined Churchill as a gambler. Churchill had a predilection for Monaco, a town in South of France, and Hotel de Paris where the story unfolded in August 1939, just before the outbreak of WW2. Churchill visited the casino roulette one fine evening to drink and wager his heart out. However, his luck deserted him, as he was amidst a frustrating losing streak that continued till the early hours of the next day.
The casino director approached Churchill to request him to stop. But Churchill was Churchill; undeterred by the request, he continued to place wagers mindlessly. He assured the director of settling all the dues with the casino in the following morning. In a twist of events, Churchill had to rush back to London in wake of the possibility of war looming. So, the morning never came and the debt remained unpaid until the war ended and Churchill revisited the casino.
Post WW2, Churchill was voted out of power. He raked in millions through selling rights of his war memoirs and biography. Now he had both, a huge bankroll and aplenty leisurely time. In 1945, Churchill revisited the Hotel de Paris to participate in the opening of a wine cellar. He couldn’t resist the temptation to wager in the same casino where he previously lost. The events repeated, as Churchill played till wee hours, lost excessively and the casino director visited him yet again. But this time, Churchill paid his total dues incurred before and after the war.
The cheque worth 1,300,000 Francs was never redeemed, as recognition of Churchill’s role in WW2. Imagine how thrilled Churchill would be to play online roulette had he been alive today.
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