The Legal Landscape\n\n However, foreign nationals are free to gamble in the casinos and given that they make up 80% of the 36,000 population, that's most of the country anyway. The history of the gambling ban itself is a large part of why Monaco has the identity it does today.

The citizens of Monaco are forbidden to enter the gaming rooms of the casino. The rule banning all Monegasques from gambling or working at the casino was an initiative of Princess Caroline, the de facto regent of Monaco, who amended the rules on moral grounds.

David Siegel is that man. The 79-year-old founder and CEO of Florida-based Westgate Resorts- one of the big three of the timeshare industry, along with Wyndham and Marriott-purchased the property for aroundR$160 million last summer and announced he would spend at least that much remaking it into Westgate Las Vegas.

Crime bosses such as Doc Stacher and Meyer Lansky acquired shares in the hotel and attracted Frank Sinatra, who made his performing debut at Sands in October 1953. Sinatra later bought a share in the hotel himself.