I love travelling to Las Vegas from Australia at least once a year. Unfortunately I have heart and lung cancer related issues that make it very uncomfortable for me to be inside smoke filled venues for any longer than about 30 minutes. Now would be a perfect time for all Las Vegas casinos to band together and ban smoking everywhere on and within range of their gaming floors. It would be a very safe bet to say that the loss of revenue from gaming would not be that significant once gaming returns to Las Vegas if all casinos banned smoking. People will accept it and gaming staff will be grateful for the fresh air. Australia banned smoking from all casinos several years ago and it did not affect revenue. Any comments?
There aren’t many things I would like more than smoke free casinos.
Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening anytime soon. If anything, they might try to do a better job of limiting smoking to the slot area and have a non-smoking area for all other games.
But especially looking at slot players, I think a decent amount of them wouldn’t go to the casino anymore if they weren’t allowed to smoke. For one, the average slot player is older and from a time where smoking was still very common. With younger smokers, a lot of them aren’t very smart decision makers. Casinos love that clientele for obvious reasons.
I understand from a business perspective why casinos want to continue to allow smoking, but from a health perspective of being able to provide a safe environment, prohibiting smoking should be absolutely necessary. Indoor smoking can't be a good idea IF a common goal is to prevent spread of disease.
People will touch cards, chips, machines etc. then put their hands to their mouths often while smoking. When people exhale smoke, they are also exhaling respiratory vapors that can spread coronavirus if the smoker is infected (and possibly asymptomatic).
Allowing indoor smoking is risky and dangerous, regardless of whatever other real and superficial protocols they claim to put into effect. Clearly, by allowing smoking, the casinos are not helping control the spread of the virus.
I understand from a business perspective why casinos want to continue to allow smoking, but from a health perspective of being able to provide a safe environment, prohibiting smoking should be absolutely necessary.
In 1998 California banned smoking in all bars and cardrooms. Basis was to make it a safer place for the workers (bartenders, waitresses, dealers), not to make it safer for the patrons.
Predictions of doom and mass failures of bars and cardrooms.
I think Nevada casinos would do just fine in the long run without allowing smoking indoors, just like businesses in California.
Unfortunately, Indian Casinos in California allow smoking, which is one of the main reasons I rarely play poker at Graton Casino even though it is only a 15 minute drive from my home.
I understand from a business perspective why casinos want to continue to allow smoking, but from a health perspective of being able to provide a safe environment, prohibiting smoking should be absolutely necessary. Indoor smoking can't be a good idea IF a common goal is to prevent spread of disease.
People will touch cards, chips, machines etc. then put their hands to their mouths often while smoking. When people exhale smoke, they are also exhaling respiratory vapors that can spread coronavirus if the smoker is infected (and possibly asymptomatic).
Allowing indoor smoking is risky and dangerous, regardless of whatever other real and superficial protocols they claim to put into effect. Clearly, by allowing smoking, the casinos are not helping control the spread of the virus.
There is currently no smoking in Las Vegas casinos
They aren't the sort of business that cares about the health and well-being of their patrons. If they did, they would never be open at all. They care just slightly less than your average tobacco company.
Last edited by BrianTheMick2; 04-30-2020 at 07:06 AM.
If macau and california (which arguably have a good sample marketshare) can come up with smoke rooms that dont bother people, then Vegas can do it too. There's plenty of upsides too, if they are looking to convert vegas to a more "family friendly" or "destination friendly" party spot full of wine/dine, and shopping experiences.
We have this in most casino's in Europe, which is great.
They have certain closed smoke areas incl. slots etc..
In most cases this did not really cause any loss of revenue.
I agree with you, Brian, about the reality of the casino business.
There is no smoking currently in Vegas casinos because they are closed. When they reopen, will smoking be allowed? I haven't read anything definitive about this.
I read the Venetian and Wynn proposed protocols/marketing/PR info for reopening, and did not read anything addressing smoking.
Unless I am missing the information, t seems like business, gov't and public health bureaucracies want to proceed as if smoking indoors isn't a public health problem for reopening during a pandemic.
Fact is, if a highly contagious virus is a problem, anywhere people congregate to eat, drink and smoke while touching the same objects and surfaces that others do while smoking, drinking or eating, creates a problem. There is no realistic way to safely reopen a business during a pandemic where people congregate to do these things on premises.
The only way for a casino reopen is either to do it with considerable risks, or wait until a highly contagious virus is no longer a problem. One or the other. Either open with risks, or stay closed, but they can't open without risks, regardless of what anybody wants.
It would be a very safe bet to say that the loss of revenue from gaming would not be that significant once gaming returns to Las Vegas
The few states that have banned smoking from casinos saw significant losses in gaming revenues and taxes. The range is typically 16 to 20%. Casinos aren't going to do that, especially since smoking is still permitted in casinos in every state in its time zone plus Arizona, New Mexico and Idaho.
It would take a petition drive with about 6 weeks to collect over 100k signatures (I think actual number is 130k) to get it on this ballot in November. That's very difficult in good times. There is little support for a measure like this and I don't think it would come close to passing if it made the ballot.
We have it here in Canada as well . In our city we had one Casino just on the outskirts that was on tribal land and allowed smoking .
I think Vegas does a great job at handling the smoke but be glad if they eliminated that.
Reality is I do not see me going to Vegas in 2020 and I go twice a year usually.
In 1998 California banned smoking in all bars and cardrooms. Basis was to make it a safer place for the workers (bartenders, waitresses, dealers), not to make it safer for the patrons.
Predictions of doom and mass failures of bars and cardrooms.
Bars and cardrooms survived and thrived.
That's because people had nowhere else to go unless they left the state. NV depends on tourism and needs to be attractive to vacationers. I've never been a smoker, but CA banning smoking in all bars and restaurants was government overreach.
I don't expect casinos to prohibit smoking, nor do I expect everybody to accept this, but...
Banning smoking indoors is not government overreach. It's a common sense approach to a public health issue that negatively affects innocent bystanders. Smoking hurts other people besides the smoker. Why should somebody wanting to eat or drink in a restaurant or bar, or play poker have to breathe in second hand cigarette smoke? Why should a smoker's right to smoke indoors be more important than a non-smoker's right to breathe clean air free form carcinogens from second hand smoke?
Your "civil liberties" do not give you the right to harm other people. It's not ok to do whatever you want, wherever you want if it hurts other people, which smoking does. Laws exist to protect Other People. Get it? Other people besides one's self matter in a society.
Bars and card rooms continue to thrive in California because, as it turns out, it is not too much to ask of people to smoke outside. It's fair. Smokers can smoke without harming non smokers. They just can't smoke everywhere they want, without regards to the health and comfort of other people. Weed smokers have been doing it forever, and continue to do so. If i want to smoke a joint, I step outside, smoke a joint, then go back inside. No problem. If Nevada and other states banned indoor smoking, it would become the norm just like in California, and people would simply step outside for a smoke.
Regarding smoking and coronavirus in casinos, it certainly is an issue because as I wrote earlier...
People will touch cards, chips, machines etc. then put their hands to their mouths often while smoking. When people exhale smoke, they are also exhaling respiratory vapors that can spread coronavirus if the smoker is infected (and possibly asymptomatic).
Employees and customers will be safer if casinos prohibit smoking rather than to continue to allow it. So, how is smoking indoors in a casino not an coronavirus issue?
The lack of ANYTHING that you could read about this is definitive. Well, other than this thread, but there is another thread about the paucity of good corned beef hash* in Las Vegas casinos that will first need to be addressed by the powers that be. Once they take care of that, I am sure they will address your concerns post haste.
*not the shitty west coast style with shredded corned beef.
f Nevada and other states banned indoor smoking, it would become the norm just like in California, and people would simply step outside for a smoke.
It isn't the norm in California for casinos to be smoke-free. Nearly all are smoking because state bans do not cover tribal land. I can't come up with a state west of the Mississippi River that has entirely smoke-free casinos. The closest I can get is Colorado where there are only two smoking casinos.
You can't expect Nevada to commit financial suicide by becoming the first in two time zones banning smoking in casinos, especially in this midst of this crisis. Every state in the east that did that lost about 1/5 of its gaming revenue. It's why you haven't seen a state pass a casino smoking ban in about 10 years.
Last edited by John Mehaffey; 04-30-2020 at 10:48 PM.
If macau and california (which arguably have a good sample marketshare) can come up with smoke rooms that dont bother people, then Vegas can do it too. There's plenty of upsides too, if they are looking to convert vegas to a more "family friendly" or "destination friendly" party spot full of wine/dine, and shopping experiences.
"Family friendly" did not work very well the last time it was tried.
It isn't the norm in California for casinos to be smoke-free. Nearly all are smoking because state bans do not cover tribal land. I can't come up with a state west of the Mississippi River that has entirely smoke-free casinos. The closest I can get is Colorado where there are only two smoking casinos.
You can't expect Nevada to commit financial suicide by becoming the first in two time zones banning smoking in casinos, especially in this midst of this crisis. Every state in the east that did that lost about 1/5 of its gaming revenue. It's why you haven't seen a state pass a casino smoking ban in about 10 years.
OTOH, I cannot think of a single poker room in Las Vegas that allows smoking in the poker room. I am only personally familiar with a couple of them, but ask if ANY of them allowed smoking in the poker room. This thread topic may be a non-issue in poker rooms.
I don't expect casinos to prohibit smoking, nor do I expect everybody to accept this, but...
Banning smoking indoors is not government overreach. It's a common sense approach to a public health issue that negatively affects innocent bystanders. Smoking hurts other people besides the smoker. Why should somebody wanting to eat or drink in a restaurant or bar, or play poker have to breathe in second hand cigarette smoke? Why should a smoker's right to smoke indoors be more important than a non-smoker's right to breathe clean air free form carcinogens from second hand smoke?
Your "civil liberties" do not give you the right to harm other people. It's not ok to do whatever you want, wherever you want if it hurts other people, which smoking does. Laws exist to protect Other People. Get it? Other people besides one's self matter in a society.
Bars and card rooms continue to thrive in California because, as it turns out, it is not too much to ask of people to smoke outside. It's fair. Smokers can smoke without harming non smokers. They just can't smoke everywhere they want, without regards to the health and comfort of other people. Weed smokers have been doing it forever, and continue to do so. If i want to smoke a joint, I step outside, smoke a joint, then go back inside. No problem. If Nevada and other states banned indoor smoking, it would become the norm just like in California, and people would simply step outside for a smoke.
Regarding smoking and coronavirus in casinos, it certainly is an issue because as I wrote earlier...
People will touch cards, chips, machines etc. then put their hands to their mouths often while smoking. When people exhale smoke, they are also exhaling respiratory vapors that can spread coronavirus if the smoker is infected (and possibly asymptomatic).
Employees and customers will be safer if casinos prohibit smoking rather than to continue to allow it. So, how is smoking indoors in a casino not an coronavirus issue?
It IS government overreach. SOME people are telling EVERYONE how to behave. You're telling bar and restaurant owners what they can do with their private property. Nobody is forcing people to go into a bar or restaurant that might permit smoking. It's typical "I don't like it so EVERYONE has to do what I want".
mine............ 