New Casino

With tears in their eyes the proprietors of French gambling casinos have been begging the Government to reduce their taxes, which sometimes run as high as 65% of the gross. The season had been ruinous. In 1930 the seven biggest casinos reported a deficit of 21% in their takings compared with the year before. This year's deficit, wailed the managers, will be over 50%. To illustrate the parlous state of affairs the managers pointed to Nicholas Zographos, "Nicky the Greek." greatest gambler in Europe. M. Zographos is head of the Greek gambling syndicate which operates the casinos' baccarat banks. Last week as was his custom Nicky the Greek sat behind the shoe at Deauville. Normally the baccarat banker at Deauville is playing against $10,000 to $20,000 on each card. Last week the great M. Zographos sat at a table where the total stakes amounted to just $20.

The picture of Nicholas Zographos reduced to penny ante moved the French Cabinet. Last week they promised to introduce a bill in the Chamber to reduce gambling taxes.

No sooner had the casino managers won this round than the Society of Sea Baths of Monaco, operators of the world-famed Monte Carlo Casino, opened a new establishment at the water's edge to compete with Frank Jay Gould's tremendously successful Palais de la Mediterranee at Nice. Besides the gambling rooms and the bathing beach Mr. Gould's establishment includes a five-story hotel, several restaurants and a floating theatre anchored off the shore. Two 15,000-ton steamers were chartered last week to anchor in front of the Monte Carlo Casino, to serve as hotels for the guests that the managers were hourly expecting.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.