Pennsylvania casino smoking bill remains at state Capitol
In November, a Pennsylvania House committee passed a law aimed at closing a loophole for indoor smoking in casinos and certain other businesses. Five months later, the full House has yet to act on the measure.
The Pennsylvania Board of Health passed House Bill 1657 on Nov. 15. The legislation, known as the Protecting Workers from Passive Smoking Act, was authored by Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny), a long-time supporter of banning indoor smoking to protect workers' health.
Frankel's HB 1657 was scheduled to be taken up on the House floor this week, but the item was removed from the agenda after lawmakers said they needed more time to gain support. Although a "lawsuit" filed this month seeks to ban smoking at nine New Jersey casinos through court orders, a legislative effort to ban smoking at Atlantic City casinos appears unlikely anytime soon.
Pennsylvania lawmakers representing Philadelphia casinos worry that the smoking ban will lead some gamblers to move their operations an hour east to Atlantic City.
Smoking Deadlock
Pennsylvania's Clean Indoor Air Act passed in 2008 provides an exemption for casinos, allowing brick-and-mortar businesses to dedicate up to 25 percent of their gaming floor to tobacco use. Of the 17 casinos in the commonwealth, only two do not have smoking licenses, the Parx Casino in Bensalem and the Parx Casino in Shippensburg.
However, Parx is the richest casino in the group. The casino, located in North Philadelphia, won $588.2 million last year, beating runner-up Wind Creek Bethlehem with $526.3 million. Frankel believes that Parks' performance shows that the "smoking ban" is a good thing for gaming companies, not a bad thing.
It’s ridiculous to say a smoking ban is bad for business when Pennsylvania’s most successful casinos voluntarily ban smoking,” Frankel said last fall after his bill won approval from the Board of Health.
"There is growing evidence that smoke-free environments attract more customers, not fewer," Frankel added. "Pennsylvanians should not have to choose between their jobs and their health. This legislation is not only good for health, it's good for business."
Industry Demand
Commercial gaming lobbyists continue to claim that smoking bans will hurt business. In Atlantic City, the New Jersey Casino Association commissioned a study that concluded a smoking ban would reduce annual gambling revenue by up to 25 percent, critical revenue that could lead to widespread layoffs and possible casino closures.
In Pennsylvania, some analysts believe Parks Casino has become the richest casino because it attracts large numbers of non-smokers. If a statewide smoking ban were implemented, that population would be spread across Philadelphia's casinos, including Live!, Harrah's, Rivers and Valley Forge. Smokers will travel to Atlantic City, so the ban will result in a net loss.
State casinos employ about 14,800 people in their physical operations, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The casino tax supports a variety of programs including property tax relief, agricultural support, the horse racing industry, community grants and economic development.
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Source: www.casino.org
