“ Too many continue to employ the sky-is-falling scare tactics about jobs and revenues that contradict independent analysis .”
— Cynthia Hallett , President and CEO , Americans for Nonsmokers ’ Rights
On the other hand , a 2022 report from C3 Gaming of Las Vegas says data from multiple jurisdictions “ clearly indicate that banning smoking no longer causes a dramatic drop in gaming revenue . In fact , non-smoking properties appear to be performing better than their counterparts that continue to allow smoking .”
Many casinos have invested in filtration systems that supposedly remove most of the toxins in cigarette smoke . But there ’ s no way to fully eliminate the hazard , especially at close range . Just ask any dealer who works across a table from smokers . Or casino patrons like Brian Christopher .
In June , the popular “ slot influencer ” opened his first branded gambling lounge at the Plaza in Las Vegas . Christopher says he no longer works in smoking casinos or posts his videos from their gaming floors ( the Plaza allows smoking , so the BC Slot Lounge is in a separate building with its own ventilation system ).
“ I just didn ’ t want to live in it anymore ,” says Christopher , “ and I ’ m not going to walk into smoking casinos and promote for them , ever .”
Christopher says he ’ s spoken with casino officials who assure him that their ventilation systems eliminate virtually all smoke . “ And I ’ m like , ‘ No , you cannot be telling people this , this is not factual .’”
The Canadian-born personality , who has millions of subscribers and followers , says he moved to the U . S . in 2014 , and “ was shocked to find that there was still smoking allowed anywhere . You assume the U . S . is ahead of everyone else .”
Christopher says casino executives tell him quite candidly that their biggest gamblers also tend to be smokers , and smoking sections far outperform non-smoking sections . Bottom line , they ’ re unwilling to forfeit that business .
Clearing the Air
There ’ s evidence to support the claim that habitual gamblers are more likely to also be smokers . That outrages gaming industry veteran Richard Schuetz , a former casino regulator who started as a dealer . Schuetz slams operators “ who act ostensibly concerned about providing viable programs to help problem gamblers , but recognize the comorbidity between smoking and problem gambling ” and tacitly enable it . “ This is one of the hypocrisies of the industry .”
The British Medical Journal cites studies suggesting that smoking may be higher “ among
“ There are risks on both sides . But managing that risk can be done successfully in the long term .”
— Alan Feldman , Responsible Gaming Fellow , UNLV International Gaming Institute
problem or pathological gamblers .” Scientists at the University of Calgary have also drawn a link between the activities , and say the high incidence of smoking among people with gambling disorder “ is due in part to these activities being paired together repeatedly .” And a Connecticut study reported that smoking rates appear to be substantially higher among gamblers in treatment ( 62 percent ) than those in the overall populace ( 22 percent ).
None of these studies is conclusive , and according to the National Institutes of Health , researchers haven ’ t yet looked at “ the potential cost savings and other economic benefits that could accrue from smoke-free laws ,” including lower employee health care costs , improved productivity and decreased cleaning and maintenance expenses .
When a smoking ban was implemented at Colorado casinos in 2008 , there was a net positive : the American Heart Association reported that calls to Gilpin County ’ s 20-plus casinos dropped about 20 percent .
Shreveport , Louisiana banned smoking during the pandemic , but repealed its Smoke-Free Act for casinos in May , claiming that customers were crossing the river to play at smoking casinos in Bossier City .
Adrian King , regional vice president of Boyd Gaming , saw a direct correlation between the smoking ban and lower revenues . Alice Kline of the American Cancer Society countered that Shreveport residents pay more in taxes for smoking-related health care costs than the casinos contribute in revenues . And casinos also pay a heavy price for cleaning up after smokers .
Hearings on the matter revealed markedly different views among casino staffers . As reported by the Shreveport Times , one employee blamed her respiratory problems on secondhand smoke inhaled at work . Another said she ’ s more concerned about her livelihood , and would move to Bossier City to work if the ban returned .
“ Both those people are correct ; there are risks on both sides ,” observes Feldman . “ But managing that risk can be done successfully in the long term — understanding that the short term could be rough .”
One thing is beyond debate , and that ’ s the deadly effects of smoking on health . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the U . S . ( or one of every five deaths ). Sec-
AUGUST 2023 www . ggbmagazine . com 15