A Smoke-Free Casino in Atlantic City?
Is one Atlantic City casino about to become smoke-free?
That looks like a possiblity as Harrah’s Entertainment is sending out surveys to its customers asking what their reaction would be if the Showboat banned smoking entirely. Would they come more often? Would they come less? Would it make no difference? The questionnaires were embedded with passwords in such a way that people couldn’t send them to all their friends and stuff the ballot box one way or another.
This might have been brought about by the fact that casino revenues slid even further in December - when the 75%-25% smoking ordinance went back into effect - than they did in November when there was a complete smoking ban for half the month.
Some people may remember when the Silver City in Las Vegas went smoke-free in the late 1980s, and soon shut down. But that place was a dive and on its last legs anyway.
It will be interesting to see what happens at the Showboat. It could be a good compromise to allow people who still smoke to do so in some Harrah’s casinos, while opening one to people with asthma and other lung diseases who can’t be exposed to it at all.
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February 28th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
I say Let the people decide, not the employees or the state, If casinos were truly creative, and knew how to run a business, they would cut the casino into half 50% smoking and 50% non-smoking!
Simple solution same as those who like their decaf coffee and those who prefer regular coffee! Pick and choose, let the numbers decide not the state or lobby groups!
Atlantic City casinos will not end with a bang, but with a whimper.
March 8th, 2009 at 10:50 am
The sensible thing is to make the tables non-
smoking and have areas of non smoking slots.
If you don’t like smoke stay away from the smoking areas. this is too clear for some politicains to understand
March 13th, 2009 at 9:34 am
I WOULD BE VERY DISAPPOINTED IF A TOTAL BAN WERE IN EFFECT. I KNOW FOR MYSELF THAT I STARTED TO LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVE PLACES TO GAMBLE WHEN THERE WAS A 6 WEEK TOTAL BAN ON SMOKING. I AM NOT SURPRISED THAT THERE WAS A DIP IN DECEMBER WHEN YOU WENT BACK TO THE 75%/25% SYSTEM BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE KNEW THAT SMOKING WAS ONCE AGAIN ALLOWED ON THE CASINO FLOOR. I HAVE BEEN PLAYING AT SHOWBOAT SINCE IT OPENED AND WOULD HATE TO MAKE A CHANGE BUT I ASSURE YOU I WILL. YOU HAVE TO HOPE THERE ARE ENOUGH NON-SMOKERS TO KEEP THE CASINOS PROFITABLE. I AM SURE THE INDIAN RESERVATIONS WILL BE HAPPY TO SEE ME AND ALL OTHER SMOKERS WHO ARE FORCED TO CHANGE WHERE THEY SPEND THEIR MONEY.
September 27th, 2009 at 7:23 am
You cannot simply divide a casino in half for smoking and non-smoking because as a video poker player the same identical machines are not in both areas. Hence, I may like the payoff of a Jacks/Better in the smoking area and as a result I’m compelled to play there as a non-smoker and vice versa. It is easier for a smoker to play in a non-smoking area because if that person desires a smoke, they can simply get up and walk to the smoking area. To the best of my knowledge, Trump Plaza has set up a smoking lounge for those smokers.