Bally's and Boyd Gaming shareholders decline initiatives considering casino smoking restrictions.
Last Thursday, the shareholders of Bally's Corporation voted against a proposal to prohibit indoor smoking in all the company's 15 casinos.
In April, Trinity Health, a Michigan-based healthcare system owning 440 shares of Bally's traded on the New York Stock Exchange, suggested the company investigate the financial consequences of implementing a smoke-free policy at its casinos where indoor tobacco use was permitted on the gaming floors. Trinity's investment in Bally's adds up to a 0.001% ownership stake in the casino business, which had approximately 40.5 million shares outstanding at the time.
Bally's reported that the shareholders' vote rejected the proposal to abolish smoking in the company's nine casinos where indoor tobacco use is still legal. The actual results of the vote will be disclosed in an upcoming regulatory filing.
Bally's leadership remained silent on the outcome of the vote, but advised shareholders to vote down the proposal, claiming it was "unwarranted and unreasonable."
This outcome followed the rejection of a similar smoking ban proposal submitted by Trinity Health at Boyd Gaming. Boyd Gaming revealed that shareholders supporting 63.6 million shares voted against the casino smoking idea compared to 18.5 million in support.
Caesars Entertainment is set to have a casino smoking vote - also proposed by Trinity - during its June 11 annual shareholder meeting in Reno.
Not Complete Defeat
Despite the rejection of Trinity Health's proposal at Bally's and Boyd, those seeking to make the companies' casinos smoke-free did not experience a complete setback.
Since more than 5% of the Boyd vote was in favor of completing the smoking review, the issue can be brought up again during the company's 2025 shareholder meeting. If similar findings appear at Bally's and/or Caesars, Trinity would be authorized to reintroduce the topic in 2026.
Cynthia Hallett, CEO of the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation (ANRF), a nonprofit dedicated to educating the public on the risks of secondhand smoke and advocating for clean indoor air workplaces, had this to say: "We've created a solid foundation from which to build."
"Most proposals never make it to a vote, much less reach double-digit support," Hallett continued. "With this matter now entering the realm of boardroom discussions, the companies cannot conceal themselves from this essential issue that impacts the health and well-being of their staff and guests."
Inevitable Result?
Casino smoking is still legal in 17 states. While gambling and smoking have coexisted for decades, the ANRF predicts that smoke-free casinos in each of those states are an imminent development.
The ANRF emphasizes the historic trend of restricting indoor smoking in other settings. Previously, smoking was frequent on commercial flights. However, federal regulations banned in-flight smoking in February 1990.
The organization also spotlights the former prevalence of indoor smoking at restaurants and bars. Today, almost 80% of all U.S. restaurants are smoke-free. Moreover, smoke-free hotels and the elimination of smoking rooms are on the rise.
The ANRF asserts that smoke-free casinos can effectively compete with those that permit smoking, as smoking decreases and more gamblers desire smoke-free environments.
Read also:
- Remaining contenders down to two in DFB's struggle versus Brazil.
- Schalke's Transfer Assessment: A Season of Wastefulness
- Shocking development in the NBA!
- Law enforcement agencies in various metropolises plan expansive measures for May 1.
Source: www.casino.org
