- Title: GREECE: CASINOS - NEW GAMBLING CRAZE HITS GREECE
- Date: 29th October 1995
- Summary: LOUTRAKI, GREECE (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PLAYERS IN CASINO MAN PLAYING SLOT MACHINE MONEY FALLING FROM SLOT MACHINE
- Embargoed: 13th November 1995 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LOUTRAKI, GREECE
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Business,Politics,People,Lifestyle
- Reuters ID: LVA8CV2RJVXDW36ZEQEALXIXT1ZJ
- Story Text: A new craze has hit Greece - gambling. The first two legal private casinos have just opened, and the government has plans to allow 11 more. But not everyone is happy with the move. Reuters Television's Deborah Kyvrikosaios reports.
---------------------------------------------------------------- ITS LAS VEGAS GREEK STYLE, AND ITS A BIG HIT. WITH 200 SLOT MACHINES AND 40 TABLES FOR ROULETTE, BLACK JACK, DICE AND POKER, PEOPLE ARE FLOCKING TO CLUB HOTEL CASINO IN THE WESTERN SEASIDE RESORT OF LOUTRAKI IN GREECE.
ONE OF THE LARGEST CASINOS IN EUROPE, OPERATORS SAY IT IS ATTRACTING AN AVERAGE OF 1,800 CLIENTS A DAY AND 3,000 ON WEEKENDS.
BESIDES CLIENTS FROM ABROAD RESIDENTS FROM THE GREEK CAPITAL ARE DRIVING DOWN IN DROVES TO TRY THEIR LUCK.
----------------------- CAPTION: TONY SARACINE, DIRECTOR, CLUB HOTEL CASINO: "WE KNEW FROM OUR EXPERIENCE ABROAD THAT GREEK PEOPLE LIKE TO PLAY AND THIS HAS PROVED TRUE THEY LOVE TO PLAY." (ENGLISH) ----------------------- AND IT'S NOT ONLY THE BIG SPENDERS OR HIGH SOCIETY FREQUENTING THE CLUB HOTEL ON A DAILY BASIS.
---------------------- CAPTION: JOHN COHEN, PRESS SPOKESMAN, CLUB HOTEL "THE AVERAGE IS THE AVERAGE GREEK, THAT COMES IN TO PLAY, FOR FUN, TO HAVE SOME FUN. TO GO TO THE RESTAURANT, HEAR SOME MUSIC, THATS IT, TO HAVE A NICE TIME." (ENGLISH) ---------------------- IT IS THE SECOND PRIVATE LAS VEGAS STYLE CASINO TO OPEN IN THE COUNTRY SINCE THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO OPEN 13 PRIVATE CASINOS.
IN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS SINCE ITS OPENING IN SEPTEMBER IT HAS GROSSED MORE THAN 3 MILLION DOLLARS, A EUROPEAN RECORD.
BUT NOT ALL GREEKS HAVE JOINED THE GAMBLING CRAZE. RESIDENTS OF ONE ATHENS SUBURB ARE IN AN UPROAR OVER A PRORPOSED CONTRACT TO BUILD A CASINO IN THEIR AREA. THEY SAY IT WOULD RUIN THE RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER OF THE SUBURB AND PREDICT NOISE AND TRAFFIC PROBLEMS.
THEIR ANGRY OPPOSITION FORCED GREECE'S FOREIGN TOURISM MINISTER TO RESIGN OVER THE ISSUE, AND THE GOVERNMENT TO SEARCH FOR A NEW SITE FOR THE CASINO.
THE GOVERNMENT HOWEVER SEEMS TO HAVE HIT THE JACKPOT WITH ITS DECISION TO OPEN THE CASINOS. IT WILL BRING IN 20 TO 30 PERCENT OF GROSS EARNINGS IN TAXES AND MORE THAN 250 MILLION DOLLARS FROM OPERATING LICENCES. AND ACCORDING TO CLUB HOTEL OPERATORS, THERE IS A LONG AND HEALTHY FUTURE FOR GAMBLING IN GREECE. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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