Casinos and Gaming Venues
- Secondhand Smoke and Casinos
- Casino Management Supports Smokefree Casinos and Smokefree Gaming
- Casino Smokefree Ads
- Secondhand Smoke & Casinos Legal Synopsis
- Colorado Casinos Safer After Smoke-Free Law: Research Shows Air Quality Improvement in Casinos’ First Smoke-Free Month
- Smokefree Gaming Laws Map
- Who is Pakko?
- Statewide Survey of Registered New Jersey Voters
- Clearing the Smoke
- Letter from Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner
- American Gaming Association (AGA)
- Pritsos analysis of Wachovia (Blackhawk, CO) Gaming Report
- Engaging Gaming Workers in Your Smokefree Campaign
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) "Environmental and Biological Assessment of Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure Among Casino Dealers"
- Nathan's Story
Check out ANR's 4-page backgrounder on Smokefree Casinos.
The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) approved a landmark resolution in January 2009 encouraging state lawmakers to ensure that casinos are smokefree workplaces.
Casinos are workplaces. Listen to this radio ad to hear casino employee Vinny Rennich's story. Vinny Rennich is the winner of ANR's 2007 Smokefree Hero of the Year Award.
With state regulated and tribal gaming expanding at an exponential rate, casinos and other gaming establishments are emerging as huge employers for local and state economies. As more cities, counties, states, and entire nations enact 100% smokefree workplace laws, keeping casinos smoke-filled is no longer the status quo. In the United States, 27 states, Washington DC, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have enacted smokefree gaming laws, as of April 1, 2008. Click on ANRF's Smokefree Gaming Laws Map to find out where.
A 2010 study examined indoor air samples within over half of California's tribal casinos and found that both patrons and workers are gambling with their health every time they enter these casinos:
Live in a community with gaming? Click on the image to learn effective ways of engaging gaming employees into your smokefree campaign.
Gaming facilities, like restaurants and bars, benefit from smokefree indoor environments. Gaming industry workers typically suffer higher occupational exposure to secondhand smoke, putting them at greater risk for lung and heart disease and DNA damage. As has been proven time and time again, ventilation does not eliminate all the poisonous toxins and chemical components of secondhand smoke. Even in casinos with ventilation systems, because of the high levels of smoking, casino employees have higher levels of cotinine (metabolized nicotine) than do employees in other smoke-filled workplaces.
Get the facts. Read ANR's Secondhand Smoke and Casinos.
Despite opposition efforts to divert the message away from worker health with arguments of economic downturns, the evidence speaks for itself:
- Smokefree laws have no adverse effect on total gambling revenues;
- Smokefree gaming is popular among gaming employees and management;
- Gaming patrons favor smokefree indoor air.
A 2006 study by a University of Nevada, Reno researcher suggests that the economic implications of indoor smokefree laws throughout the United States may not be as great as originally believed. In fact, the study shows 4 out of 5 casino patrons are nonsmokers. In Nevada the percentage of gamblers who are also smokers is roughly 21 percent in both Reno and the Las Vegas Strip tourist hubs, well below the 70 percent figure used by opponents of measures that would make public places 100% smokefree.
Share your story. If you are a gaming industry employee or patron who has been adversely affected by secondhand smoke, click here to share your story. We would love to hear from you!
Stop gambling on your health! Donate to ANR's "Smokefree Air Action Fund."
Read more about smokefree gambling in the news.
| Casinos and Secondhand Smoke | |
 | Electronic cigarettes for sale at Foxwoods Battery-powered devices have raised safety questions The Day (New London, CT), 2010-05-07 |
| Stanford study finds secondhand smoke pervasive in California's Indian casinos Stanford University News, February 17, 2010 |
| Wynn seeks dismissal of second-hand smoke suit Las Vegas Sun, 2009-12-13 |
| Caesars Palace smoking lawsuit dropped, Wynn suit continues Las Vegas Sun, 2009-12-09 |
| Union backs Wynn in secondhand smoke dispute Las Vegas Business Press - Valerie Miller - November 16, 2009 |
| LAS VEGAS - (Business Wire) Joseph Carbon, Director of the TWU Gaming Division Earthtimes (press release) - November 9, 2009 |
| Reservation casino smoking policy comes at a cost Great Falls Tribune - October 20, 2009 |
| Investigating secondhand smoke at casinos KVBC, July 29, 2009 |
| Ex-dealer sues Caesars Palace over smoke exposure Casino City Times - July 24, 2009 |
| Smoking study capped Caesars dealer's long, lonely fight Las Vegas Sun - May 12, 2009. |
| Smoking at the slots: Atlantic City casinos are gambling with employees' health (Newark, NJ) Star-Ledger, 2009-02-17 |
| LETTER: Secondhand Smoke At Casinos Not Minimal The Day (New London, CT), 2009-02-16 |
| LETTER: Smoking should be banned at casinos The Day (New London, CT), 2009-02-21 |
| Study: Casino air is 14 times smokier than outdoors Indianapolis (IN) Star, 2009-01-14 |
| Casino Smoke Harming Restaurant Patrons In Nevada Casino Gambling Web, January 11, 2009. |
| Workers protest smoking at casino, WTNH, CT, January 7, 2009. |
| Indiana group fights for LaPorte casinos to be included in smoke-free legislation, WNDU.com, July 29, 2008 |
| "Judge says second-hand smoke led to cancer," United Press International, February 13, 2008. |
| Powers, L., "Study could snuff secondhand smoke," RGJ.com, May 15, 2006. |
| Anderson, K.; Kliris, J.; Murphy, L.; Carmella, S.' Han, S.; Link, C.; Bliss, R.; Puumala, S.; Hecht, S. "Metabolites of Tobacco-Specific Lung Carcinogen in Nonsmoking Casino Patrons," Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 12:1544-1546, December 2003. Abstract unavailable |
| Trout, D.; Decker, J.; Mueller, C.; Bernert, J.T.; Pirkle, J., "Exposure of casino employees to environmental tobacco smoke," Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 40(3): 270-276, March 1998. |
| Casinos and Ventilation | |
|  Jiang, R.O.; Cheng, K.I.; Acevedo-Bolton, V.; Klepeis, N.E.; Repace, J.L.; Ott, W.R.; Hildemann, L.M., "Measurement of fine particles and smoking activity in a statewide survey of 36 California Indian casinos," Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology [Epub ahead of print], February 17, 2010. |
| New technology was key behind development of CityCenter's Aria, president says Las Vegas Sun, December 14, 2009. |
| Smoke-filled Air in Detroit Casinos Deemed Unhealthy [The MGM Grand issued a press release in rebuttal.] |
| Repace, J.L., "Secondhand smoke in Pennsylvania casinos: a study of nonsmokers' exposure, dose, and risk, " American Journal of Public Health 99(8): 1478–1485, August 2009. Read the press release. |
| Wakefield, M.; Cameron, M.; Inglis, G.; Letcher, T.; Durkin, S., "Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Respiratory Symptoms Among Casino, Club, and Office Workers in Victoria, Australia," Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine. 47(7):698-703, July 2005. |
| Repace, J., "Respirable particles and carcinogens in the air of Delaware hospitality venues before and after a smoking ban," Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine 46(9): 887-905, September 2004. |
| [n.a.], "ANSI Upholds Approval of ASHRAE Smoking Addendum," www.csemag.com, September 29, 2003. |
| Cains, T.; Cannata, S.; Poulos, R.; Ferson, M.J.; Stewart, B.W., "Designated "no smoking" areas provide from partial to no protection from environmental tobacco smoke," Tobacco Control 13(1): 17-22, March 2004. |
| Economic Impact | |
| Gambling revenue falls with cig ban Billings Gazette, January 20, 2010 |
| AGA report shows solid casino revenues in 2008 InterGame - December 11, 2009 |
| Herbst Gaming reverses loss, but revenue drops in quarter Las Vegas Review - Journal - November 17, 2009 |
| Gambling revenues are down one month after smoking ban KTVQ (Billings, MT), 2009-11-05 |
| Our Opinion: Casinos wrong to target smoking ban The State Journal-Register - August 20, 2009. |
| Casino Revenue and the Illinois Smoking Ban (PDF) Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (MO), 2009-08-15 Thomas A. Garrett and Michael R. Pakko Working Paper 2009-027A |
| Casino revenue plummets; gaming lobbyists blame smoking ban (IL) State Journal-Register, 2009-08-15. |
| Rhythm City's contingency plan for smoking ban approved Quad-City (IA) Times, 2009-07-17. |
| Tri-State casino takes steepest dive Charleston (WV) Daily Mail, 2009-07-06. |
| Smoking Ban May Not Be All That Ails Illinois Casinos Casino City Times - May 20, 2009. |
| Report: Revenue and jobs decline at US casinos Lexington Herald-Leader, May 18, 2009. |
| Smoking ban at slot parlors could cost millions Providence Journal - May 13, 2009. |
| Mohegan Sun CEO asks legislators to kill casino smoking ban bill The Day (New London, CT), 2009-05-05. |
| Gambling and the Law: Of Course It Is a Depression EOG.com, April 10, 2009. |
| Herbst Gaming blames smoking ban for bankruptcy KVBC - March 12, 2009. |
| Casino Smoking: It's About Money The Day (New London, CT), 2009-02-22 |
| Las Vegas Strip Gaming Revenue Drops 16% EOG.com, January 9, 2009. |
| "Our opinion: Casinos not above state smoking ban," The State Journal-Register, October 2, 2008. |
| Pyles, M.K.; Hahn, E.J., "Economic impact of smoke-free ordinances on charitable gaming in Kentucky," University of Kentucky College of Nursing, August 18, 2008. |
| "Casino patrons don't like smoking," San Diego (CA) Union-Tribune, July 1, 2008. |
| J.D. Power and Associates Reports: A Vast Majority of Southern California Indian Gaming Casino Customers Express Desire for a Smoke-Free Environment, July 1, 2008. |
| Pritsos, C.A.; Pritsos, K.L.; Spears, K.E., "Smoking rates among gamblers at Nevada casinos mirror U.S. smoking rate," Tobacco Control, 17: 82-85, April 2008. |
| [n.a.], "U.S. gambling revenues up 6.8% to $32.4 billion," KOLO, May 8, 2007. |
| Pritsos, C.A., "The percentage of gamblers who smoke: a study of Nevada casinos and other gaming venues," Reno, NV: University of Nevada, Department of Nutrition, 2006. |
| "Dover Downs Gaming 3Q Profit Grows," Associated Press, October 26, 2006. |
| Kitching, C., "Native-run casino would still thrive under smoking ban," Winnipeg Sun, August 15, 2006. |
| Mahoney, J., "Bingo on long decline since casinos opened," Rocky Mountain News, July 31, 2006. |
| Pellegrini, J., "'Business as usual' at casinos after smoking ban," Niagara Falls Review, June 2, 2006. |
| Mandel, L.L.; Alamar, B.C.; Glantz, S.A., "Smoke-free law did not affect revenue from gaming in Delaware," Tobacco Control 14(1): 10-12, February 2005. |
| Glantz, S.A.; Wilson-Loots, R., "No association of smoke-free ordinances with profits from bingo and charitable games in Massachusetts," Tobacco Control 12: 411-413, 2003 |
| [n.a.], "Smoke-Free Bar Fact Sheet," BREATH, [n.d.]. Abstract unavailable |
| California State Board of Equalization: California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section, November 2002; State of California, Employment Development Department, Labor Force Statistics, November 2003. View the data |
| Public Attitudes | |
| OPINION: All casinos should be smoke-free The Express Times - LehighValleyLive.com - August 26, 2009. |
| Limited smoking in casinos OK, 47 percent in New Jersey poll say The Press of Atlantic City, 2009-01-28 |
| Smoke-free casino tops tourist destination study AP, 2008-12-28 |
| State should protect people's health in the workplace News Transcript, NJ, December 11, 2008 |
| Casino patrons don't like smoking San Diego (CA) Union-Tribune, 2008-07-01 |
| J.D. Power and Associates Reports: A Vast Majority of Southern California Indian Gaming Casino Customers Express Desire for a Smoke-Free Environment, July 1, 2008. |
| Field Research Corporation, "2004 Field Research Poll Results," California Department of Health Services, September 2004. |
| Dalla, N., "Poll Results: To Smoke or Not to Smoke - That is the Question," Card Player, December 17, 2003. |
| [n.a.], "Delaware Statewide Survey," IMPACT, American Lung Association, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, [n.d.]. Abstract unavailable |
| [n.a.], "A Snapshot of Perspectives on Second-Hand Smoke in the Workplace," Critical Insights, September 2004. Abstract unavailable |
| [n a.], "[press release re: "Helena Voters Overwhelmingly Support the City's Smoking Ordinance, and Believe it Should Be Fully Enforced Without Delay."]," Harstad Strategic Research, Inc., June 27, 2004. Abstract unavailable |