Smoking Bans Crippling Casinos In Certain States

[The Straight Story]

Smoking Bans Crippling Casinos In Certain States


Casinos are having enough trouble in today's economy trying to turn the same profits they are used to. Throw in a smoking ban to keep gamblers from lighting up, and the casino has a recipe for disaster.

These are good days and bad days for casinos around the United States. Many states are expanding their casino gambling, which is good for developers. There is a downside, however.

Along with the new casinos, there is also another trend that is being followed by state politicians. Smoking bans are becoming the norm in public places, but they are severely hurting many casinos.

Take Illinois for example. Their casinos are trying to adjust to a smoking ban that has hurt their business tremendously. What was once a comfortable business, has grown into a source of stress for casinos in the state.

Many of their former clients have taken their gambling money over to neighboring Missouri. Missouri casinos allow smoking, and that has helped them take customers away from Illinois casinos.

http://www.casinogamblingweb.com/gambling-news/casino-gambling/smoking_bans_crippling_casinos_in_certain_states_49173.html

[Egnever]

1. Does the same thing to bars

[The Straight Story]

3. Sometimes...bars here still let ya smoke for the most part, just no ashtrays

They give you empty bottles :)

Even the guy checking ID at the bar down the street here smokes.

[cherokeeprogressive]

24. At a pool hall in Orange County they give you empty Altoids boxes after you sign a book.

They get away with it too. I don't know why.

[Arugula Latte]

13. In many cases, bars that ban smoking get MORE customers.

I know that we avoid places that allow smoking. It's completely disgusting to go into a cloud of poisonous air and then reek until you shower and do laundry.

Our state ban on smoking at all workplaces (which includes bars and restaurants) is going into effect in January. Finally. It's long overdue, IMO.

[misanthrope]

19. Not necessarily true...

...Some places do fine without smoking, while others don't.

[SteppingRazor]

2. Florida's a great example of this.

They recently legalized poker and slots at all the racetracks, but there's no smoking. Well, guess what? Everyone still goes to the Indian casino, because you can light up there. Serious gamblers tend to be somewhat addictive personalities, and -- shockingly enough -- addictive personalities are smokers more often than the population at large.

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. They have a nonsmoking section at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood

[SteppingRazor]

8. Yes, but at the racetracks, every place is nonsmoking...

and you have to step outside to smoke. Where as at the Seminole, the poker room is nonsmoking, but you only have to step outside the room. And almost all the slots are smoking, except for that one room. I'm all for a nonsmoking section, mind you, but I think it's silly to ban it casino-wide.

[kiva]

4. Guess this means Nevada will benefit.

When the state instituted a smoking ban in some places (restaurants, bars that serve most types of food), they were very careful to exempt casinos because they knew the gaming industry would fight it. Even bars that are covered in the ban have discovered that it's in their interest to provide customers with a partially filled glass of water--their argument is that they aren't giving patrons an ashtray, so they aren't "allowing" customers to smoke. Works pretty well, actually.

[Tikki]

5. I've never been to a Nevada Casino that didn't have both...

a smoking and nonsmoking section...

Tikki

[enlightenment]

6. Really?

On the gaming floor?

I live in Las Vegas and I've never seen a non-smoking area on the gaming floor, except for a couple of local's casinos that have advertised that option since the pre-ban days.

When the smoking ban was passed here, it very conveniently left out the big casinos. They're about the only place you can smoke in Vegas any more.

[Tikki]

10. Well, we play at Laughlin...

Definitely nonsmoking and smoking sections there... been to Vegas once...
Maybe the Luxor?..both nonsmoking and smoking.

Tikki

[enlightenment]

16. Possible - I've haven't been in the Luxor in at least a year.

I'll take your word on it for Laughlin, since I never go there other than the occasional pass through to or from AZ (and only if the Dam traffic is so foul that it makes the 93 to 95 crossover worth while).

Now you've got me curious, Tikki! I'll have to go do some research (on the Net, it's too hot to troll the Strip). :)

[Javaman]

9. yet another strawman. I recently read an article sighting how the crappy economy is

killing business at the casinos.

infact here is it!

http://www.inbusinesslasvegas.com/2008/08/15/casinos.html

Also the smoking hurts business is yet another strawman argument...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_ban

Many studies using objective measures of economic activity, such as sales taxes, have been done by Smoke Free Groups on the effect of smoke-free policies. The vast majority have found that there is no negative economic impact, with many finding that there may be some positive effects on local businesses.<54> A 2003 review of 97 studies of the economic effects of a smoking ban on the hospitality industry found that the best-designed studies by anti-smoking groups and their contractors reported no impact or a positive impact of smoke-free restaurant and bars laws on sales or employment.<55>


also...

The Economic Impact of Clean Indoor Air Laws
http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/cgi/content/full/57/6/367

[The Straight Story]

11. Umm...vested interest? "studies by anti-smoking groups"

And as many will point out, people ignore the bans and smoke anyway.

But even then - the point shouldn't even be about the affects of the ban, it should be about letting people have freedom of association and choice. If people have a choice where to work or drink/eat and know before hand what an establishment offers, then I don't see the problem in giving people a choice.

Why restrict adults from a legal activity and legislate morality and choice? I feel the same way about pot, etc.

The bar down the street the waitresses and owner all smoked, even after the ban - but now they face fines for it.

Freedom doesn't always mean we like what others do, where and how. I didn't like all the smog in Bakersfield, but I understood some people liked to drive to the store instead of walking or riding a bike (especially when it is 110).

The more we limit choice the less free we are.

[Javaman]

14. vested interest? good lord. how about just quicking and giving your lungs a break.

they would be thankful for it.

it's always amusing listening to addicts justify their habit.

[The Straight Story]

15. Talk about strawman stuff...that does nothing to address the real issues I mentioned

freedom of choice. Freedom for a small business owner to make decisions. Freedom of citizens to go to a place that allows a legal activity.

I can never have an abortion, but I support the right to choose. I am not gay, but I support the right of gays to marry. I don't smoke pot, but I support the right of others to have the choice to do so. I don't own a gun (currently) but I support the right of others to do so.

So how about quickly giving others a break from nanny state laws or the moral code of others and trying to force people to adhere to the beliefs of others?

[Arugula Latte]

20. The other stuff you mentioned doesn't affect other people, though.

A cloud of noxious cigarette smoke DOES harm other people.

[The Straight Story]

22. Driving does not affect other people? Eatin beef doesn't?

According to what I have seen it does.

And people have the freedom to be around it or not be around it (as long as there is a choice in where you go).

No one forces anyone to go to a bar/food place that allows smoking (nor does anyone force anyone to work there).

I just don't get the reason people want to limit choice. If you want a smoke free bar, open one. I don't get how that is a hard concept to grasp...

[Javaman]

25. well, let me know when smoking becomes a right, will you?

:rofl: LOL

priceless, simply priceless.

addicts crack me up.

[The Straight Story]

27. Let me know when freedom of association becomes a right....

I thought it already was.

[Javaman]

28. spoken like a true addict. LOL

knock yourself out. oh want another puff? LOL

[The Straight Story]

29. Is that the best ya can do :)

:rofl:

[ProfessorGAC]

17. Isn't That Contrary To The Normal Pattern

Generally, casinos do better during tough times. I can't find the econometric cite i was thinking of, but it went back to the Depression and found that gambling and drinking both generally rise during tough economic times.
The Professor

[Javaman]

26. Good point, but we live in strange times now. :) nt

[Winterblues]

12. Awwww poor wittle gambling casino

Can't make the same thousand percent profit they are used to....awwwww I wonder if the economy is to blame even a little....Maybe people just don't have any expendable money to gamble with....

[Sebastian Doyle]

18. Are you a Phillip Morris lobbyist?

Seriously, you start at least one pro-smoking thread every day, or else some thinly veiled thing like "second-hand drinking".

Are lobbyists allowed to "work" this board?

[kiva]

21. Actually, from what I've seen the OP starts threads

on a lot of subjects--some I agree with, others not, but why would it bother you? Lots of other topics to read if you don't like this one.

[The Straight Story]

23. Here is a clue: Go to google and type just the word 'ban' or 'banned' et al

And then look at my posts - from chocolate at schools in the UK to other things you will see I cover a lot of issues re: banning things.

Smoking happens to come up a lot - and I don't even type that in to the news search engine.

And none of this happens to have anything to do with my issue at all - I don't care if it is smoking or something else, removing choice is wrong IMHO no matter the topic - which is why I post a lot of threads on bans and proposed bans (another key word I use in searching is 'proposed').

While we are busy fighting the good fight here, there are plenty of other things going on with the state and local governments we need to keep on top of (like the thread I posted today on an overturn of the ban on gay adoptions in Florida...)