A recent survey commissioned by a clean-air environmental group showed that a majority of Nevada voters would support a ban on smoking inside the state’s casinos, including any sportsbooks inside of them.
No Butts About It
The Nevada Tobacco Control and Smoke-Free Coalition commissioned polling firm, Normington Petts, to find out whether smoking inside the state’s casinos is important to voters. The results were recently published showing 58% of the 800 registered Nevada voters who were asked said that they were in favor of a smoking ban while 39% voiced opposition.
The study also revealed that 55% of the voters surveyed would view politicians who supported the ban in a favorable light compared to 35% who would not. Currently, the state’s Clean Indoor Air Act does not prohibit casinos and stand-alone bars from the mandatory clean air regulations imposed by the legislation.
Park MGM became the first casino on the Las Vegas Strip to go no-smoking when it reopened in September 2020 after the global pandemic caused Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak to issue an order for all casinos in the state to close. Approximately three months later the order was lifted and casinos began reopening as early as June 4, 2020.
Commitment
“As we looked toward our reopening, we identified an opportunity to be responsive to recurring guest demand for a fully non-smoking casino resort on the Strip,” Anton Nikodemus, president of MGM Resorts’ Las Vegas portfolio, said in a statement issued by the company. “With an expansive Las Vegas portfolio, MGM Resorts is able to offer an array of options for visitors, all within the MGM Resorts family.”
Brendan Bussmann, director of government affairs for Las Vegas-based Global Market Advisors LLC, noted at the time, “Smoking will likely be one of the casualties of the Great Shutdown. While Park MGM is the first Las Vegas casino to go smoke-free, numerous casinos across the country have implemented non-smoking policies, at least on a temporary basis. In the long term, smoking will likely have a smaller and smaller footprint on the casino floor if it has one at all.”
Tough to Budge
Not only are clean air groups pushing for smoke-free casinos across the nation but so too are many of the union members like table game dealers, cocktail waitresses and janitorial workers, to name but a few, who serve any number of roles in the gaming industry.
The United Auto Workers (UAW), a union that represents thousands of casino workers, filed a lawsuit to remove the non-smoking exemption that Atlantic City casinos enjoy, and its local in Las Vegas is also taking note and supporting smoke-free efforts in Sin City.
Paula Larson-Schusster, president of UAW Local 3555 and a dealer at the Flamingo, explained workers were being exposed to second-hand smoke and it had deleterious effects on their health. “A lot of people’s health situations during the three months (of COVID-19-related casino closures) got better. But unfortunately, that only lasted for a short time and they allowed smoking again.”
But it is highly unlikely any of these campaigns and efforts will get the casino operators to budge. Studies commissioned by casino advocacy groups have shown that if smoking was banned throughout the casino floor there would be a decrease in foot traffic and ultimately a drop in revenues and jobs.
However, more recent studies seem to counter that argument. Nevertheless, old habits and perceptions die hard, and as of this moment, a total smoking ban throughout Nevada casinos is highly unlikely.
