Updated on December 10, 2025
Monte-Carlo is certainly not a place of chance for nothing! Beyond the chips and tokens that energise casino nights, a new game takes centre stage today. With Jean-Benoît Héron's precise and poetic touch, the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer designed in partnership with Winning Moves, Monopoly game becomes a collectible work of art, an illustrated tribute to the elegance of the Resort. A call to all collectors!
Summary:
1. An exclusive edition celebrating Monte Carlo
2. An iconic artistic signature
An exclusive edition celebrating Monaco
Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer preserves the look and feel of the traditional Monopoly while integrating the Resort’s universe, delicately illustrated by Jean-Benoît Héron. The iconic establishments and locations take their place on the legendary board, without altering the game’s rules. True to the original version, the winner is the last player with money remaining, offering a unique immersion in the heart of Monaco.
As the illustrator for Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer for 28 years, he has crafted each of the forty squares, showcasing the Resort's heritage with delicate lines and subtle hues. He also designed the "Chance" and "Experiences" cards (commonly known as "Community Chest") and created banknotes ranging from 5 to 500 keys, featuring local landmarks and architectural details. The game pieces symbolise Monegasque life's highlights, including Formula 1 racing, yachts, horses, and circus tents.
Available from mid-December, this Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer Monopoly is a collector's item. Made as a limited edition and housed in a luxury box set, it showcases the Resort's history, including its latest developments.
Are you ready for an evening of Monopoly at Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer?
An iconic artistic signature
Everything pointed to him becoming an illustrator, except for his engineering degree. Passion eventually overtook his focus on the agri-food industry, where he worked for ten years. Following in his parents' footsteps, Jean-Benoît Héron pursued illustration—a profession he was exposed to early on when his mother designed silk squares for Hermès. This early influence provided him with invaluable insight. Over the past twenty-eight years, he has studied plans, photographs, and the life of the Resort to understand the curves and lines of its buildings and to appreciate the aesthetic of Monte-Carlo.
Was this Monopoly a major project?
Jean-Benoît Héron: There was the original illustration, but also upstream, an adaptation of the game rules and design. It took several months of collaboration and effort to achieve this. This game is the culmination of an entire team's efforts.
How did your journey with Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer start?
Jean-Benoît Héron: I lived in the Nice hinterland and began my professional illustration career with Gallimard guides and an Italian tourism magazine, for which I illustrated European monuments designated as World Heritage sites. While shopping in Ventimiglia, I saw the Monte-Carlo Casino from the road that overlooks the Principality. Thanks to a brother-in-law working in Monaco, I was introduced to the Monte Carlo Société des Bains de Mer.
Your work might imply that you have an architectural background or that you studied through the Beaux-Arts. However, you are self-taught.
Jean-Benoît Héron: I never attended formal drawing school. Although my grandfather was an architect, I’m not sure if that connection influences my work. My parents, both illustrators, had an extensive collection of books. As a child, I loved reading books on 19th-century architectural drawings. Later, I realised that some aspects of those drawings appear in my work. Memories of my childhood observations often surface in my art. At age 10, I visited the Musée des Plans-Reliefs and the Musée de la Marine in Paris, which was very inspiring. Life is often shaped by such small, meaningful experiences that resonate deeply and eventually influence your path.
What was your first drawing for Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer?
Jean-Benoît Héron: In 1997, I worked on an exploded view of the Casino, with the ceilings lifted to reveal the structure (See illustration opposite). These types of views enable you to see both the interior and exterior of a building on a single diagram. Although incredibly intricate, I enjoy creating this kind of drawing. It requires thorough documentation, detailed plans, and on-site reconnaissance to grasp the volumes and circulation flows.
A unique collector's item
How much time is needed to produce such a drawing?
Jean-Benoît Héron: Back then, I created the perspectives manually, as computer tools were nearly unavailable. It took ten days of pencilling and a week of full-time colouring. Starting after the Monte-Carlo Casino, I drew the Café de Paris, then continued with other buildings. Eventually, I completed the Resort plan and the Principality's layout and even produced botanical plates of the plants in the Casino gardens to showcase the Group's botanical heritage.
Is immersing yourself in the place important to you?
Jean-Benoît Héron: The drawing improves significantly when you draw after visiting the places. It gains a soul, a certain je-ne-sais-quoi that genuinely makes a difference, especially with the light that can't be fabricated.
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