The Bradford man who broke the Monte Carlo bank
The remarkable story of Joseph Jagger, who found a way to beat the casino at roulette.
Joseph Hobson Jagger was a Bradford textile worker facing financial ruin when he travelled to Monte Carlo in the early 1880s with an extraordinary idea. Drawing on his experience in the mills, he believed roulette wheels were not perfectly balanced and that careful observation could reveal patterns hidden from other gamblers. After studying the casino's tables for weeks, Jagger identified a biased wheel and won a fortune, reportedly breaking the bank several times and becoming one of the most famous gamblers of the Victorian era.
The story which has inspired books and songs through the years, Joseph Jagger's Monte Carlo adventure remains one of West Yorkshire's most fascinating tales, linking the textile mills of Bradford with the glamour and high stakes of Europe's most famous casino.
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