Place for Fun

The world's biggest gambling palace is having its biggest season. On a single day last week, 16,480 Argentines entered Mar del Plata's huge oceanside casino, left $160,000 in the tills. Every evening 10,000 players packed the $70 million main gambling hall and spilled into the newly opened annex across the street.

Mar del Plata's boom was brought by: 1) Argentina's hottest summer in 16 years; 2) currency difficulties that kept most Argentines away from Uruguay's resorts; 3) plenty of inflated pesos. Some of the pesos were flung away by newly rich industrialists plunging at punto y banco, a South American version of baccarat. But most of the money came from the pockets of vacationing descamisados, who preferred roulette. The casino's main hall looked like Macy's basement as players pushed and shoved to bet at the 71 roulette tables. Most of them ignored the more conservative red-and-black, put one-peso chips (20-c-) on one of the 37 numbers and waited for the long shot to come home.

Taking its profit in pennies, Mar del Plata was making over $10 million a season. That suited the government, now the casino's sole owner. It suited the casino's 1,050 staffers, too. Their incomes, including tips, would run as high as $3,000 for the three-month season.

Chief Croupier Manuel Lopez Iglesias, who had seen estancias lost on the turn of a baccarat card in the old days, took a philosophical view of his new clientele. "The casino has been really democratized," he said. "People with all kinds of income now come to the casino. They may lose a little, they may win a little. What is important is that it is fun for them."

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