St. Louis County in Missouri could become the first county in the state to enforce a smoking ban in casinos, if a measure currently before the County Council passes.
An indoor smoking ban in the county was first implemented in 2011 but specifically excluded casinos. However, according to Dr. Kanika Cunningham, the county health department Director, this exclusion poses a serious health threat to both customers and employers alike, particularly in the context of a county with high smoking rates. A 2020 health department report showed that roughly 15% of St. Louis County adults smoked, which is higher than the national average of 11%.
At a recent council committee meeting, Cunningham said that even with partial smoking restrictions, there is no way to allow for smoke-free air, reports St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She added that the current ventilation systems can reduce odor but do not reduce the level of hazardous exposure, which has prompted many stakeholders to push for a full ban.
Dr. Kanika Cunningham
However, Councilman Dennis Hancock, a Republican from Fenton, is concerned that the bill would result in customers heading to casinos in neighboring counties where smoking is allowed. Even though smoking is allowed at casinos elsewhere in Missouri, it’s banned in Illinois.
In response, Cunningham cited a 2022 report from a gaming consulting firm, C3 Gaming, which found that smoking bans in other jurisdictions did not result in any loss of business.
While no casinos in Missouri have indoor smoking bans, the gaming consulting firm found that those that implemented prohibitions in other states did not experience any drop in revenues.
However, Michael Jerlecki, general manager and vice president of Hollywood Casino in Maryland Heights, thinks that the health department cherry-picked the study to favor their position.
Jerlecki told council members that a total smoking ban that only applies to casinos in St. Louis County would place them at a considerable competitive disadvantage to nearby casinos in Missouri, risk hundreds of good-paying jobs, and “substantially impact the tax revenue and significant economic activity” their properties generate.
Hollywood Casino and River City Casino in Lemay, both owned by gaming company PENN Entertainment, employ roughly 1,400 people and generated about $145 million in tax revenue last year.
In 2018, St. Louis County voters approved a ballot measure limiting smoking to half of a casino gaming floor. However, a new vote in 2020 reversed that decision, but Hollywood and River City casinos opted to keep half of their gaming floors nonsmoking. Jerlecki said it’s the best way to serve customer preferences.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2023/05/04/67025-st-louis-could-become-missouri-39s-first-county-to-ban-smoking-in-casinos
