Las Vegas gaming experts warned casino owners this week that their industry is coming under attack by a well-organized and well-funded group of anti-smoking activists that aim to ban smoking in casinos.
U.S. casinos run into smoking problem
Las Vegas gaming experts warned casino owners this week that their industry is coming under attack by a well-organized and well-funded group of anti-smoking activists that aim to ban smoking in casinos, the Las Vegas Sun reported.
The anti-smoking movement echoes a major public policy trend to ban smoking in public places in many states and cities, the experts said.
"Those bans could lead to lost jobs and revenue as smokers go elsewhere to gamble, shop or otherwise spend money," said the industry analysts.
At the Global Gaming Expo this week, industry representatives said many casinos are also unaware of proposed changes to air-quality standards that could end up effectively banning smoking in casinos by requiring expensive makeovers to existing buildings designed to accommodate smokers.
One industry representative said he believes that smoke-free casinos are inevitable and that casinos should consider transitioning their properties to become smokeless over time.
"I don't think it can be stopped," said James Butler, general counsel for Argosy Gaming Corp. "They don't want a partial ban, they want a total ban," he said of the anti-smoking groups.
Butler suggested that casinos could sell nicotine patches and gum instead of cigarettes and could also start sponsoring stop-smoking programs.
Casinos should also get involved in the anti-smoking debate by monitoring local, state and federal legislation concerning smoking and involving employees and customers in the discussion, he said.
Butler said that groups opposed to gambling are aligning with anti-smoking advocates to make themselves heard.
The casino industry has grappled with the smoking and ventilation issues for years. Anti-smoking groups claim smoking bans haven't hurt business and that ventilation systems in casinos and other businesses don't remove cancer-causing smoke from the air.
But casinos point to a decline in revenue at Delaware casinos since a smoking ban took effect in 2002, saying a ban could drive business to tribal casinos or other casinos in nearby states that allow smoking.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers is an international volunteer organization that creates ventilation standards that are often adopted into local building codes. ASHRAE, as the group is known, has amended ventilation rules to prevent buildings from recirculating smokers' air into non-smoking areas.
While the newest resorts in Las Vegas may already be in compliance with the ASHRAE rules, many other casinos nationwide may not, experts said. Casinos could opt to go smokeless rather than to refurbish their buildings at great cost, they said.
Some local communities don't necessarily adopt ASHRAE standards into their building codes, which would then apply to new construction or remodeling projects. But casino officials fear that the standards, which aren't enforceable by law, could still become a nationwide model that could be used in lawsuits filed by customers or casino workers against casinos.
Anti-smoking advocates hope to use the ASHRAE standards to pressure casinos into going non-smoking.
James Repace, a visiting professor at Tufts University's School of Medicine, found that the level of cancer-causing particles is much higher in the air of smoke-filled bars and casinos than on city streets.
In Nevada, an anti-smoking group has filed a petition to ban smoking in public areas frequented by children but maintains smoking areas in casinos.
The gaming industry, which claims the petition could be used to ban smoking in hotel rooms, is supporting a second petition that further maintains smoking areas in some public areas with gaming such as supermarkets and convenience stores.
