Pennsylvania casino smoking bill moves out of committee
Smoking is allowed in certain areas of Pennsylvania casinos, but some Democrats in the state want to eliminate gambling exemptions in the state's Clean Indoor Air Act.
The Pennsylvania House Health Committee made history yesterday by introducing a measure aimed at "closing the loophole in the 2008 bill that allowed indoor smoking in casinos." This is the first time a bill to amend indoor casino smoking laws has been introduced in committee.
The House Health Committee is chaired by Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny), who has introduced legislation for the second year in a row that would require the state’s brick-and-mortar casinos to be smoke-free. Frankel’s legislation — House Bill 1657 — would also repeal indoor smoking privileges at private clubs and bars, where alcohol revenue accounts for the majority of revenue.
With committee approval of my bill today, we take a major step forward in protecting Pennsylvania workers from secondhand smoke at casinos, bars and clubs. “We have long since stopped forcing employees to choose between work and their health,” Frankel said.
With approval from the House Health Committee, Frankel's bill will head to the full House for full consideration in the coming weeks.
Party Split
The House Health Committee vote on Frankel's smoking law was divided along party lines. All 14 Democrats on the committee voted in favor of HB 1657. The committee's 10 Republicans voted against it.
Republicans agree with casinos' argument that smoking bans would negatively impact gambling revenue and lead to lower tax revenue. The gaming industry says thousands of jobs are at risk because players who want to smoke may go to neighboring Atlantic City or West Virginia, where indoor smoking continues.
Casinos in Delaware, Maryland and New York (Pennsylvania's other border state) require smoking-free in their casinos.
All but two of Pennsylvania's 17 casinos have designated smoking areas on their gaming floors. Exceptions include Parx Casino in Bensalem in North Philadelphia and its sister satellite casino Parx Casino Shippensburg.
Anti-smoking advocates say smoking bans will not harm gambling. Quite the contrary, they said, noting that even after the smoking ban, Parx Casino continued to lead the state gaming industry in brick-and-mortar revenue.
A 2022 study by Las Vegas-based casino consulting firm C3 Gaming found that smoking bans had no negative impact on gaming enjoyment.
“Data from multiple jurisdictions clearly shows that smoking bans no longer lead to significant declines in gaming revenue,” C3 Gaming research concluded. “In fact, non-smoking properties appear to perform better than properties that continue to allow smoking.”
Interest rates remain high
The Grassroots Alliance of Casino Workers CEASE – Casino Workers Against the Impact of Smoking – celebrates the committee’s historic passage of a bill banning smoking in indoor casinos.
This is a great day in our fight for healthier workplaces, and we won’t stop fighting for this legislation until we can finally breathe smoke-free air in our workplaces. We urge lawmakers to pass this bill in the House because no one should be forced to choose between their health and their paycheck. ” commented Jen Rubolino, table games dealer at Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and co-leader of CEASE Pennsylvania.
However, the chances of Frankel's bill passing and becoming law remain high. Democrats hold a slim majority in the House of Representatives, holding 102 of the 203 seats. Republicans control 28 of the 50 seats in the state Senate.
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Source: www.casino.org
