French government

"All the engine tests were successful. The French govern- ment also purchased a licence and arranged for production by Peugeot. This engine was a 16-cylinder double-bank 400 HP design, with a reduction gear and layout enabling a 37 mm. cannon to be fired through the propeller shaft; the whole was covered by patents until 1935. This type of*aero- engine was later adapted and produced by Bréguet in France, Napier in England, and Mann in Germany. Many other aeroengines in U-form or H-form are also derived from it."

"After several months of lobbying, Sol got his way. The French government amended the gaming laws to allow slot machines under conditions that suited Sol and SPIC. The aim was now to buy up as many casinos as possible in French towns, small and large, before anyone else cottoned on to the revenue potential of the machines. The acquisition of the Casino Le Ruhl was followed by three smaller casinos in the south of France. The new gaming laws imposed a low tax on slots. In Nice, Sol quickly installed 350 slot machines in the basement of the casino, with easy access from the Promenade des Anglais and the car park to the downtown shopping area. It was a licence to print money. The “win” from each machine was more than $500 per day – four times the average yield in Las Vegas. Slot machines were also installed in the smaller casinos along the coast, and SPIC was off to the races."