- Casinos have been excluded from a local indoor smoking ban since 2011.
- Legislation to outright ban smoking in casinos has stalled.
- A revised bill regarding public smoking and casinos is now in the works.
The St. Louis County Council does not favor a casino smoking ban, so the recent legislative effort has failed to move forward.
However, a new bill is now in the works that would add more limits to smoking in public, affecting casinos in Missouri.
Smoking Still Available in Casinos
Since 2011, St. Louis County has included an indoor smoking ban. The legislative change did not include casinos, so players could still light up while spinning slots or playing table games. Health officials in Missouri proposed a full smoking ban earlier in the year but were shut down.
The first measure that was introduced stalled in May with the local council. The council members decided to revise the bill this week and it keeps casino smoking intact but includes more public smoking regulations.
Venues would be allowed to have smoking on the casino floor, but only within half of it. The new measure has a requirement for gaming venues. If the measure is approved, it would stop smoking of any kind on county property, indoors and outdoors.
Consider the Health Risks of Employees
Health officials want to see the smoking ban instituted to help protect the health of employees. Dr. Kanika Cunningham is the health department director of the county and says that a smoking ban is needed to protect employee health.
Local health advocates were in agreement, but some council members and Penn Entertainment were opposed. The gaming company has two venues in the state, River City Casino and Hollywood Casino. Both the council members and the gaming company feel it would negatively affect their business.
Smoking continues to be a large debate in several states where casino gaming facilities still allow the activity. States like New Jersey have been fighting for and against indoor casino smoking for quite some time. The same argument remains casinos vs. health officials.
Casinos seem to think that if smoking is not allowed, it would cut down on the number of visitors they have, which lowers revenues. Health advocates feel that smoking is harmful to patrons as well as employees. Every employee has the right to clean air and even specialized HVAC systems are not helping to ensure better air quality due to smoking.
It will be interesting to see what happens in Missouri and other states where casino smoking is up for debate. Will changes be made? Will we ever see a fully smoke-free casino environment in the United States?
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