Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-12-04
Present systs =. Of Gaming 4oases ~ Paris.

4 Z - a
There are at present nine public
Gaming Houses at Paris. licensed
by the French government. and the
holders of them pay annually to the
government six millions of francs,
e50.oOol. for permissionto keep them.
The capital daily appropriated as a
bank for the whole. is about 100000.
The first in consideration is the
"Salon," in the Rue Grange BatelI-
serc. The next "Frescati." in the
Rue Richelieu. and subsequently Nos.
qsI54, and others in the Palais Roy.
al, and different parts of Paris. The
games played are. Rouge ct Noir,
Roulette, and Hazard. The dealer
of the cards, and those who officiato
at Roulette and Hazard, are not all
lowed to play themselves. but receive
a Napoleon per day CLOS sd) as their
nav. The s.Salon" alone requires an
introduction from one of the Mem
bers of the French Marquis, who
presides. before stranger can en-
ter. When stranger has been in.
sroduced, there is usually at invita-
ton sent him to dino at the Salon. on
Thursday, on which day magni6-
cent dinner is given. gratis. to all the
members delicacy Of the sea-
son is provided, and the choicest
wines, champagne in abundance.
which is drank only in tumbiers.-
Too many have found to their sor-
row, that this dinner, nominally gra-
tbs. has cost them many hundred
mounds. Dinner being over. the COM
pany adjourn to the tables below,
where the play goes on briskly. AZ
ter dinner a man is less on his guard,
and champagne is stimulus to play
with freedom and resolution. Ofthis
the .Chef" of the ssSalon" is well
aware. and some of the numerous
walters i'm attendance, are ready to
lend money to those who may have
lost all about them. This arrange
ment. which. at first, appears haz-
ardnus, is. in reality, productive OF
immense profit; for. if lost. which is
too often the case. the money is. in
fact. paid back to the concern, and
if the borrower should win, he usu-
ally refunds the loan before leaving
the room, and if unsuccessful, it re-
mains for him to repay the waiter as
debt of ssbonor." Lending money
to a losing gamester, is like attempts
ing to fill leaky vessel. This sys-
tenn of lending is productive of ruin
to many who play. for man can re-
tire without being hurt, after losing
only tho money which he had in his
pocket, but he may loose thousands
if ne continues to borrow, for there
ia a disposition in gamesters TO pnr-
sue a run of ill-luck. and the feelings
are actuated by sort of phrenzy and
spirit of revenge, to regain that
which they feel as if unjustly depriv-
ed of. Let a man win, and the gra-
ti6cation he feels render him almost
incapable of leaving the tables, or if
he retire. it is only to come again,
go that he must lose the more he
plays. 1t is like buying all the tick
cts 10 lottery.
A short time since, a foreign prince
won at the Salon 100000. with such
a sum. many would have tho't them
selves content; but to win is produc-
tive of nearly as much i'll as to lose.
This young man was so intoxicated
with success, that he distressed him
self, by not only losing that sum,
but an additional $1,000. At two in
the morning. a supper is provided
gratis at the Salon; this hour is pro-
baby chosen. because few como to
supper, except to play, as the opera
and the theatre shut much earlier,
and except the gamester, most per-
sons have retired. Tho Salon cent?
nues open until FIVE or six o'clock in
the morning; at the Salon. only
Rouge ct Noir and Hazard are play
I'D. An English Nobleman, we'll
known as great frequenter of the
Salon and Frescati, lost, a short
time since. 100000. At Frescati.
Rouge ct Noir and Roulette are play.
ed. both day and night. Here neither
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