Evening star., 1925-10-12
FRENCH ENRICHED
BY GAMING MONEY
Treasury Gathers in Thou.
sands Lost by Americans
at Beach Resorts.
CORES Dondrncr Of Tho star and Sew York
Wurt1

Correspondence of Tho star and sew York
World
PARIS. Dctobrr 2--Tb" biggent
American HrasOu nj tho French re.
sorts has come to mn end and the
happy hotel keepers and gambling
concession owners are chserfully
counting the blRgnst earnings they
have ever had. Tho Frcnah treasury
has already counted itg winnings at
the green table. ns 1t counts every
morning nt the close Of play. raking
I'm more than two-thirds OF what tho
house haA accumulated for itself dur
ing the night.
What this Summer crowd Of
Americans in the French resorts has
meant in money is not difficult to
calculate. About 100000 Americans
have been continuously at the various
French resorts this Summer. The
individuals change but the number
has remained about the same. They
have been scattered along the whole
coast from Dunkirk-not to count
those beyond the Belgian frontier-to
Hendaye on the Spanish frontier.
Paris-Plage. lie Touquet, Deauville,
Dinard, La Baule, BiarritZ and ST.
Jean de Luz have had the biggest
crowds. but Of the hundreds Of smaller
PLACES" between there has not been
one where Americans have not pene-
trated. Even the smallest "holes."
where none but French provincial
visitors have ever been known before
there have been Americans this year.
Fichey. Aixles Bains, Luchon, La
Bourboulle, etc, have also been filed
all Summer with Americans.
s625.OOO Daily Hotel Bill.
The average big hotel has charged
them an average of $40 a day. This
would account for about $4,000. The
other 5000 have been paying about
So day.
This figures to 1926, 900 per day.
The Fall season has also been long.
more than two months. so il is safe
TO figure 20 days at this rate. and
still fall short Of the total dollars
which have been paid simply for keep.
1t totals s43.76O 900. This does not
include the ultra-expensive hotels, like
the Normandy and Royal and Art
SIS a day and food and drink twice as
much. SO $4,000, 900 is probably a
low estimate of what the French re-
sort hotel keepers have received this
Summer from their American guests
alone
There is some way of losing money
at all these resorts from the famous
factory of Deauville to the smallest
ot-machine. Americans play them
all. and. while they have not lost more
regularly than the rest they have
nevertheless contributed regularly by
the mere act Of playing, win or lose
because the house draws down stead
iy. And Of what the house draws
down, the treasury gets 20 per cent.
talllauH wanted To make them hand
over 30 per cent, their winnings are
so high. but the casino owners worked
II down 10 20 before the last fiscal
law went through.
Big Profits for the State.
But % per cent makes a neat little
steady income for the French treas
ury. For instance, Deauville Casino,
III the baccarat rooms alone. runs an
average of over 500. 900 francs every
night for the 'cagnotte" OF this the
state collects nearly 100000 during {.
period of two months. making a total
OF more than 10000. 900 out of Deau-
Vile alone.
tribute at least a third. making TO-
100000 francs, or 100000, which the
french treasury thus collects indi-
rectly off American players
Deauville is the biggest but only
one, La Baule's pretty little Casino
proved 10 be one of the liveliest
gambling places in France. Even
Biographies. head Of the Greek Svndi-
cate of gamblers. abandoned Deau-
vile for La Baule in the middle Of the
season. and the day Biographies doesn't t
play for high stakes is a lost oppor-
tunity- tornuche. who made Deau-
vile with his partners, has La Bauie
all to himself. The other principa
casinos in France in the Summer sea +
son are at AiX-leS. Bains, Biarritz.
Nichy, Diepre. Evian, Dinard, Luchon
and La Bourboulle. The daily Gag
notte' in all Of them combined. add
ing in the many less conspicuous
casinos, runs to about 1000. 900 francs.
or 120,o00.000 for the season. The
Americans this year must have con
ulbuted about one-fourth which
makes 30,000.000 francs, or $1,000. 900.
The total American contribution is,
II Is seen. much less important as a
figure than the money spent for Iiv-
ing expenses, but it appears to be
more imposing because every one ex
aggerates gambling winnings and
losses.
Ostend Has Comeback.
Two casinos in Belgium flourished
through the presence Of Americans
this year-Spa and Ostend. Spa has
always been popular-but Ostend
which was the smartest beach in Eu.
rope in days of old King Leopold. lost
It's vogue in recent years and has ONLY
regained it this year. The America n
gambling contributions at the two re-