Greece Hits Jackpot With Private Casinos : Gambling: A lucky 13 facilities are expected to net hundreds of millions of dollars in fees and taxes for the government.

Las Vegas-style gaming has come to this Greek seaside resort and gamblers are flocking in for the chance to win, or lose, a fortune.

Hundreds of people braved heavy rain recently and lined up to get into Loutraki’s new casino.

“This is a slow day,” said casino general manager Tony Saracine. “We have an average of about 1,800 clients daily and 3,000 on Saturdays. Greece is very good business as Greeks are fanatical gamblers.”

The Loutraki casino is the second private gaming enterprise to open since the socialist government hit a jackpot with a decision last year to dot the country with 13 private casinos.

With 20 slot machines and 40 tables for roulette, blackjack, dice and poker, it is among the biggest in Europe and grossed more than $3 million in the first two weeks after its Sept. 12 opening, casino officials said.

The new casinos will cater to a Greek passion for gambling, and their Las Vegas-style razzmatazz will contrast sharply with the country’s previous lone casino, a staid and aging state gaming house on Mt. Parnitha, overlooking Athens.

The government will rake in 20% to 30% of the gross earnings in taxes plus more than $250 million from the operating licenses.

“The leisure business is hot in Europe. Greece with its landscape and mild climate is perfect for leisure,” a Tourist Ministry official said. “We expect to issue all the casino licenses by the end of 1996.”

Casino Magic, owned by the U.S. gaming company Magic Co., was the first private casino to open, setting up its tables in the northern area of Chalkidiki last May.

Five casinos are planned for the northern region, hoping to attract avid gamblers from nearby Balkan countries as well.

Magic Co. paid the government $4.3 million for a license and invested $26 million in restoring a hotel complex and installing a new casino.

Its operators declined to disclose earnings but the ministry official said the state expected $21 million a year in taxes from the Chalkidiki casino.

“We’re changing the way gambling is perceived in this country,” Saracine said. “The casino must not only attract dedicated gamblers but also the average Greek, who will come with his wife to have a good time instead of going to a restaurant or the theater.”

Indeed, couples from Athens make up the core of the casino’s clients. Driving the 60 miles to Loutraki an average of twice a week, they try their luck in a plush environment where giant wall paintings of ancient Greece reflect the flashing lights of slot machines.

Gamblers, who must be 23 or older, come dressed to kill in formal suits, tuxedos and evening gowns.

“I can’t wait to get inside,” said homemaker Maria Diakomanoli. “I just turned 23 and finally I can join in the fun with my husband.”

Israeli firms Club Hotel and Sense have invested $25 million so far in the casino. The total investment will reach $100 million in two years when a 300-suite hotel, a marina and a congress center are completed.

Another license went to the U.S. hotel chain Hyatt. It will invest $170 million, including $44 million for a license, for a casino in the northern port of Salonika as well as a 600-room hotel and a 1,000-person conference center.

“We expect $300 million in taxes in the first five years after the casino starts operation in mid-1997,” the ministry official said.

Athens has proved more complicated. Angry residents in the seaside suburb of Flisvos stopped the construction of a casino in their neighborhood last June.

The contract had been awarded to Athens Casino, a consortium of South Africa’s Sun International and four Greek construction firms. They paid $48 million for the license and want their money back.

The government is trying to find a new Athens site for the canceled Flisvos project. It is also launching a new tender for a second Athens casino after a $48 million offer by Hyatt was rejected.