St. Louis County works out smoking compromise for River City and Hollywood casinos.
The St. Louis County Council and Penn Entertainment have reached a compromise on indoor smoking in their casinos. Penn Entertainment, who operates River City Casino and Hollywood Casino, initially resisted county council plans to make both casinos completely smoke-free, arguing that it would put their properties at a disadvantage compared to other Missouri casinos.
Currently, Missouri law (passed in 2002) requires most indoor workplaces to be smoke-free, but makes exceptions for certain establishments like casinos. The issue lies with local officials who can decide the tobacco rules for each county. In 2018, St. Louis County residents voted to ban smoking in casinos. However, in 2020, the county reversed this decision, citing reduced sales for casinos and a decrease in county tax benefits.
Penn had allowed smoking on the gaming floors at both casinos since the 2020 referendum, even though the casinos were supposedly smoke-free. Many people have complained about the presence of smoke in these alleged smoke-free areas.
The St. Louis County Council decided not to force Penn to make their casinos smoke-free. The company argued that a smoking ban would lead to a significant loss in revenue and potentially result in layoffs. Instead, the council passed an ordinance amending the St. Louis County Indoor Clean Air Code, which now limits a casino to allowing smoking in up to 50% of its gaming space.
The new county statute reads: “Up to 50% of the area of a state-licensed gambling facility where gaming is allowed for those twenty-one (21) years of age or older, including any VIP lounge accessible only through the game floor, whether or not gaming is allowed in the VIP lounge.”
Fines of up to $250 can be imposed on individuals caught violating the new casino smoking laws. The ordinance is expected to be signed by County Executive Sam Page.
Cynthia Hallet, President and CEO of Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, believes the partial smoking ban doesn't protect people from the health risks posed by secondhand smoke.
She said, "The notion of a partial smoking policy in casinos is a failed attempt to address the serious health concerns of casino workers and only serves to appease the gaming and tobacco industries. The evidence is clear: compromised policies compromise health. Secondhand smoke respects no boundaries, and allowing smoking in designated areas cannot hide the severe health risks it poses."
Outside of St. Louis County, there is a Horseshoe St. Louis casino in the city, operated by Caesars Entertainment. This casino permits indoor smoking across the entire gaming floor. For those seeking a fully smoke-free casino experience, DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Illinois, offers one. Illinois requires commercial casinos to ban indoor smoking entirely.
According to the American Gaming Association, only 10 states have complete casino smoking bans. Besides Illinois, these states include Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, and South Dakota.
Read also:
- Columbia University Faces Possible Expulsion Following Demonstrations
- Football turmoil in Munich: Last-minute penalty stuns Bayern
- Steinmeier Faces Backlash Over "Expert Caliber" Remark
- US State Department Lacks Own Standards in Regard to Israel
Source: www.casino.org
