vpFREE2 Forums

Nonsmoking casinos

#1

I won't argue the negative issues of smoking. But that aside, let's get
back to how that might affect casinos or VP. Nevada has tried no-smoking
casinos and they failed miserably. Again, not arguing any health issues.
If a casino can't make it with no-smoking bans, it has a choice of closing,
or allowing smoking. Which do you think the casinos will do when it comes
to the bottom line.

ADR

That's true to some extent, but is a casino failed only because of being non-smoking, it's because the smokers could simply go to a different casino. Silver City, which used to be across from Slots-o-Fun and owned by Circus Circus went non-smoking for about two years. They had FPDW, and I played there quite often both before and after they went non-smoking. The number of players seemed to me about the same in both cases.

I also played live poker there. It was great being able to see my cards without my eyes watering from someone purposely blowing smoke across the table. Then the casino decided to allow smoking "temporarily" during the rodeo, but the card room manager insisted on keeping the poker room non-smoking. Silver City closed, not because of any smoking policy, but it simply was no longer competitive on the Strip.

A better example is the California card clubs and bars. They put up a big fight when California banned smoking in the work place, but it turned out that people are going to gamble and drink whether they can smoke or not. The card clubs are now busier than before the ban.

Nevada is now in a budget bind. One way to ease that would be to reduce health care costs by eliminating smoke in the work place state wide as in California. It would be an even playing field, so the smokers couldn't just go to another casino. As in the California card clubs, they would go outside for their nicotine fix. The casinos would probably actually save money on heating and cooling costs since they wouldn't have to bring in as much outside air.

Now let's get back to winning video poker.

Dan

···

--

Dan Paymar, author of the book, "Video Poker - Optimum Play"
Editor and Publisher of "Video Poker Times" newsletter
Web site at www.vegasplayer.com/vp

#2

I read recently that smoking was banned in all casinos in Australia,
and business dropped overall by 20%. Wondering if they made any
change to the policy, or if business is back on the rise anyway.

mc

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, Dan <vptimes@l...> wrote:
>It would be an even playing field, so the

smokers couldn't just go to another casino.

#3

Yes, but once the non-smokers realize that a casino no longer allows smoking, the
non-smokers may make up the difference in players who don't play because they can't smoke.
I was in Las Vegas in November and had to go to my room early several evenings because the
smoke was so bad I couldn't keep my eyes open. Tears were streaming down my face and my
eyes were hurting.

I go to an Indian casino in Washington and, thank goodness, they have a very nice
non-smoking section.

Carol

···

I read recently that smoking was banned in all casinos in Australia,
and business dropped overall by 20%. Wondering if they made any
change to the policy, or if business is back on the rise anyway.
mc

#4

Yes, but once the non-smokers realize that a casino no longer allows

smoking, the

non-smokers may make up the difference in players who don't play because

they can't smoke.

I was in Las Vegas in November and had to go to my room early several

evenings because the

smoke was so bad I couldn't keep my eyes open. Tears were streaming down

my face and my

eyes were hurting.

Visine works for me re sore eyes. :slight_smile:

#5

ceewolf wrote:

Yes, but once the non-smokers realize that a casino no longer allows
smoking, the non-smokers may make up the difference in players who
don't play because they can't smoke.

Now I don't want to be a complete naysayer, but I think general
prospects are nil. Whether entirely valid or not, I suspect the
following will drive the casinos away from considering a smoking ban:

- Smokers are probably unlikely to eschew the casino alltogether.
However, each smoking break gives the player a chance to consider
their losses and quit for the day.

- Smoking and a compulsive personality likely have a strong
correlation (though obviously, not an absolute one). Guess what is
one trait in their most favored clientele, provided they don't go
overboard.

Plus, I have one experience with a non-smoking casino. Trump Plaza in
AC has a VERY large area (actually a separate building) dedicated as a
non-smoking casino. Unfortunately, very little of their attractive vp
inventory is located there. I don't play there, favorable games being
my priority. And I suppose I could gather other non-smokers to
petition that some games be moved, but it seems that there are damn
few reports of successful efforts to pursuade casinos to act in a
fashion unless you rally a large number of people (something that's
frankly unlikely because given the environment in AC, players who know
a good machine from garbage are few and far between). Plus, in AC,
just about the time players rally around a good machine it disappears.

- Harry

#6

The casinos will go non-smoking the week after Nevada is renamed Eastern
California. There's was a bill introduced in the NV legislature now to make
the name
change.

To see how Northern Nevada feels about Las Vegas check

http://www.thesierrasage.com/News/2002/1001/Front_Page/001.html

Gary

···

----- Original Message -----
From: <harry.porter@verizon.net>
To: <vpFREE@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 2:55 AM
Subject: [vpFREE] Re:Nonsmoking casinos

ceewolf wrote:
> Yes, but once the non-smokers realize that a casino no longer allows
> smoking, the non-smokers may make up the difference in players who
> don't play because they can't smoke.

#7

Why should they? This is the way the continue to state that there are not enough people playing in the non-smoking areas. It will be real interesting if NJ does pass the No-smoking law.

AJ

Harry Porter wrote:

···

Plus, I have one experience with a non-smoking casino. Trump Plaza in
AC has a VERY large area (actually a separate building) dedicated as a
non-smoking casino. Unfortunately, very little of their attractive vp
inventory is located there. I don't play there, favorable games being
my priority. And I suppose I could gather other non-smokers to
petition that some games be moved, but it seems that there are damn
few reports of successful efforts to pursuade casinos to act in a
fashion unless you rally a large number of people (something that's
frankly unlikely because given the environment in AC, players who know
a good machine from garbage are few and far between). Plus, in AC,
just about the time players rally around a good machine it disappears.

- Harry

vpFREE Home Page:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vpFREE

vpFREE Links:
http://www.lvcm.com/tomesims/VP/Links.html

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

#8

It may not be the casinos' choice. The NJ State Assembly is now considering a bill that would make it illegal to smoke in any indoor place (bar, restaurant, casino) unless there is a separate room with separate ventilation for smokers.
   Local 54, which represents many workers in AC, has come out in favor of this bill. A couple of dealers have written letters to the AC Press saying if someone doesn't think the smoke is bad, stand behind my table for an 8-hour shift.
   The idea is to protect the workers, who shouldn't have to put their health and lives at risk to earn a living.
    Some of the reports I've seen are that business declines after a place goes smoke-free, but the smokers eventually come back and the revenues go up to what they were before the ban.
   The other alternative to meet indoor-air quality standards is to install a super-strong ventilation system. (The Bellagio in Vegas has one, and you can't tell they allow smoking in that joint unless you're within 5 feet of someone with a cigarette.) But these are extremely expensive to install, and the casinos will balk at that.
    Blessings, royal and clean air to all.

Elaine
"Harry Porter <harry.porter@verizon.net>" <harry.porter@verizon.net> wrote:Whether entirely valid or not, I suspect the
following will drive the casinos away from considering a smoking ban:

···

---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, and more

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]