Rhode Island Bill Faces Difficult Challenges to Ban Casino Smoking
Earlier this month, Rhode Island lawmakers held off on legislation that would make the state's two physical casinos smoke-free. The deadline for the ongoing legislative session is approaching, and the likelihood of these measures passing is growing more slim.
The House introduced Bill 7500 in February. This bill aims to revoke the indoor smoking allowances granted to Bally's Twin River Lincoln and Bally's Tiverton by Rhode Island's Public Health and Workplace Safety Act of 2004.
The partisan proposal, supported by 10 Democrats but no Republicans, received hearings in the House Finance Committee. Casino workers argued that permitting indoor smoking could harm their health and called for the same work environment protections as most other industries.
Bally's representatives countered by stating that a smoking ban would negatively affect their operations and ultimately the state's revenue due to reduced gaming income. Bally's casinos operate video lottery terminals (VLTs) on behalf of the Rhode Island Lottery, contributing around 60% of VLT funds to the state treasury.
Smoking Bills Sealed Away
Regardless, the House Finance Committee, dominated by Democrats, decided to postpone HB 7500 instead of advancing it to the House floor. Since then, no action has been taken on the bill. The Senate's version of HB 7500, SB 2368, has also been shelved. The Senate Finance Committee, too, voted to hold the bill for further review.
In Rhode Island, casinos are allowed to designate as much of their gaming floors as smoke-friendly as they desire. However, non-smoking areas must be "physically separated" from smoking sections and should be fitted with separate ventilation systems.
Bally's Twin River Lincoln Vice President Craig Sculo informed the House Finance Committee that smoking bans are not conducive to a casino's success. He noted that Bally's casinos offer their employees the option to work in smoke-free spaces, which includes a freshly-established non-smoking gaming area on the second floor of the Lincoln resort.
Casino workers who support a ban on smoking maintain that secondhand smoke doesn't respect the separation of smoking and non-smoking areas, spreading throughout the entire gaming space.
Rep. Teresa Tanzi (D-South Kingstown), a former smoker and main sponsor of HB 7500, explains that the smell of smoke clings to her hair even after long nights working and requires daily laundry. "Imagine what it's like, night after night, going home with cigarette smell in your hair," she said. "Every single night, throwing your clothes in the laundry every single night because of the stench of smoking."
Tanzi rejects Bally's claims that a smoking ban would hurt the casino's business. She points out that several restaurants and bars raised a similar argument before Rhode Island's 2004 smoking law was implemented.
"The sky has not fallen, and we are all better off as a result," Tanzi stated. "I'm optimistic this would make things better for casino workers and the bottom line of the state budget."
Counting Down
As the gambling state laws remain on hold, the 2024 legislative session for the Rhode Island General Assembly comes closer to its close. The legislature is scheduled to adjourn on June 30.
Bally's shareholders have rejected a proposal from an investor to examine the potential financial impacts of making the company's casinos smoke-free. The findings of this vote have not been disclosed. If at least 5% of voted shares had supported the study, the topic could resurface during the company's 2025 annual meeting.
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Source: www.casino.org
