Over 125 casinos are among many gaming locations across the US that used to permit smoking before the Covid-19 pandemic, but have now gone smoke-free.
Some of them may have done it because they were compelled to do so by anti-virus regulation; some of them because of the inconvenience of face masks.
Mark Gruetze, of CDC Gaming Reports in the US, asks whether this is now a good opportunity to test whether those locations should continue the policy permanently.
He quotes Conrad Granito, general manager of the Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn, Washington: “The casino industry for years has worried about it. You are definitely seeing changes, but there’ still a core group of gamblers who smoke.”
The American Non-Smokers’ Rights Foundation has compiled a list that shows tribal and commercial casinos and slot facilities in 25 states have banned smoking as they reopen from their coronavirus closure. Some states have already taken the opportunity to enforce a ban as they permit reopening. New Jersey and Detroit in Michigan are examples. Pennsylvania reopened with smoking, but switched to non-smoking earlier this month. Many other casinos have opened and chosen to do so with their own smoking bans.
It is clear that many venues are taking the opportunity to test reaction and to watch the bottom line to see whether the change makes an appreciable impact.
