No Smoking in Atlantic City Casinos
Saturday April 26, 2008
Atlantic City has now totally banned smoking on the gaming floor in all of its casinos, effective October 15, 2008. According to the New York Times, smoking would be allowed in smoking lounges away from the gambling areas if the casinos decide to build them. As the trend towards total smoking bans continues across the country and the world, the big question for gambling smokers is not will Las Vegas be next, but when?
Comments
The present “smoking ban” in Nevada isn’t even enforced as it is. Not one person has been cited with the $100 fine and many bars just ignore it.
Bilbo’s Bar and Grill (across from the Silverton Hotel Casino in Las Vegas) actually sells cigars!
When asked about the smoking ban, most bartenders at most smoking restricted bars around Las Vegas will say “Officially, we are a non-smoking bar by law. As a customer you can take the risk (of a fine) of lighting up.”
The smoking ban was passed by the number of family types who should have never moved their families to Las Vegas in the first place. (Imagine raising your kids in a city where billboards and cab ads have women with bare behinds, ads for topless pools, you name it).
Cigar smoking in the tourist areas of Las Vegas is more popular than ever. Andres French Restaurant at the Monte Carlo (run by a famed long-time local chef) just opened a new cigar lounge attached to the restaurant!
Ted Newkirk
Re No smoking; It’s about time. But not soon enough to suit me. What a wretched environment to non smokers of which there are more than smokers. Cannot understand
why casinos are so bull headed about banning smoking in the casino. We, non smokers , have been ignored far too long. After visiting a casino that allows smoking your hair stinks, your clothes stink and you stink from the foul air. Non smoker are not welfare cases, we too have discretionary income
as much or more than smokers. Get with the 21st century and clean up your casinos.
Industry studies find bans cut casino revenue 20% and where are all the nonsmokers who are supposed to make up for the customer loss anyway? Right now casino revenues are down 17% in IL, and up 4% in MO. The Tropicana just declared bankruptcy. What about the loss of health coverage for all those casino employees?
I agree that Las Vegas will eventually ban smoking, but no time soon. The state’s voter-approved smoking ban exempted them to keep its money out of the fight.
Taking on the casinos is a challenge I don’t think the anti-smoking groups want yet.