Part V: Regional & Cultural · Casino Slang & Historical Terms

6.18 Break the Bank

Slang — Historical/Casino

“Breaking the bank” means winning enough money at a casino table to deplete the table’s available cash reserves, forcing the casino to temporarily close the table while additional funds are brought. The term became famous from the exploits of Charles Wells at the Monte Carlo Casino in 1891, when he broke the bank multiple times at roulette. In modern casinos, table bankrolls are large enough that breaking the bank is virtually impossible, but the term persists as a metaphor for extraordinary winning.

In practice

The concept of breaking the bank was the inspiration for the game show “Break the Bank” and has been romanticized in casino literature and film. Modern casino cash management systems make such occurrences practically impossible.

One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary — 1,157 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.