CASINO MUNICIPAL d´YLDITZ
CONSTANTINOPLE , nowadays ISTANBUL
Open: 09.26.1926, Close: 09.12.1927

The Yýldýz Palace is a vast complex of ancient pavilions and villas in Istanbul, Turkey, built in the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. It was used as residence of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire Abdul Hamid II and his court in the late nineteenth century.The sultan leaves the palace in 1922 to take refuge in the British battleship "Malaya" which takes away from Turkey.After this time the Yildiz Kiosk was closed, until the day that the Municipality of Istanbul, rented it to M.Mario Sierra from Milan, which turned the palace into a casino in 1926.
In September 26, 1926 the casino was inaugurated , and the grand opening joined more than 600 people- diplomats, the prefect of Constantinople. Militar and civil autorities, etc.
The casino with six baccarat tables and four roulettes tables, was a strong success..But soon obstacles were placed in the way of all foreigners doing business in Turkey. In 1927 the Turkish government decide to impose new taxes,wich the casino refused. On September, 12th , the General Procurator of Turkey appeared in the casino and ordered its closure.

From the Press
SUNSHINE
From " Correpondance d´Orient “ 12 /1926

Casino d´Yildiz
The former imperial palace of Yldiz, rented by the government of Angora to a foreign entrepreneur, has been transformed into a casino which has just been inaugurated in the presence of the ministers of finance, the interior and all high society Constantinopolitan. The palace of the sultans, however, included a whole succession of buildings sown at random in the gardens. There could be no question of rehabilitating all these constructions.
Also, only the old Mérassimkiosque, or palace of ceremonies, built in 1898 to receive William II from his trip to the East, has been transformed into a gaming house. In the great room where Abdul Hamid once stood, now reigns another god: chance. Dance with jazz band has its domain in an adjoining room. Let us add that former black eunuchs of the palace appear among the new staff of the staff. As for the vast park overlooking the Bosphorus, which only the Sultanas used to have access to, it is also open to the public with moderate funding. In addition to the rental price, the Turkish Treasury also seems to receive 20% of the roulette and baccarat revenues.
The Turkish authorities intend by this gambling house to attract a considerable number of foreigners. The contractor will also be responsible for building large hotels. The general project would be nothing less than transforming the banks of the Bosphorus into a second Riviera, of which YLDIZ WOULD BE MONTE CARLO.

Mário Serra the concessioner of Yildiz Casino



Scan from www.wowturkey.com

An extraordinary Entry Card from my collection

THE SUNSET

THE CASINO YILDIZ FORMER PALACE OF THE SULTAN IS CLOSED
Constantinople, September 15 - The magnificent casino, opened last year in Yildiz, the former palace of Sultan Abdul Hamid II, on the Bosphorus, was visited by the police, who ordered the closure of the establishment and seized the contents of the gaming tables. We do not yet know the real reasons of the police, but we believe that the government is determined to obstruct by all means the frightening epidemic of assassinations which is currently raging in Turkey .

MY NOTE- “and seized the contents of the gaming tables”. We must go to the police caves to found the jetons and plaques. AH AH AH

The Yilditz Casino has long hit the press.
This unfortunate creation had no other result than to ruin Turks, in formal violation of the laws: the old and the new Code, with a lot of reason, prohibit the games of chance. The lawyers of the prosecuted players asked that the Prefecture be declared accomplice of the keeper, Mr. Mario Serra; this application was dismissed, but all the accused were acquitted on October 17; the judgment, against which the public prosecutor immediately appealed, states that the establishment will be reopened and the jetons liquidated.
Mr. Mario Serra gave a big party at his house with the help of his brother, lawyer, who came from Italy. The joy was short-lived: on October 15, we learned that the establishment was definitively closed, and the Prefecture instituted a lawsuit with the Commercial and Industrial Bank, which refused to pay, on the guarantee fund of Mr. Mario Serra the 12,000 pounds owed by him to the City.