Regarding the question of number of smoker versus non-smoker players:
Anyone reading this thread can get an idea of the number of smokers/non-smokers here. And that impression would probably match the survey done here (admittedly just a tiny number or respondents comapred to the total size of the current group). 70% were non-smokers. This corresponds very closely, BTW, to the number of NS rooms in casino resort hotels and the amount of NS space in casino restaurants.
I ran across some of this helping a friend in law school in the east with some of his research, (preparing a mock case against casinos that allow smoking). Some of the numbers I was already aware of. I actually did a little mini survey of hotel rooms myself a few years ago.
There does seem to be a higher number of non-smokers in the resort hotels than in the locals places, but I think the trend in the locals places is also towards more non-smokers. One of the reasons is that there are so many people who move to NV from CA and other neighboring states with a lower smoking rate. Smoking rates continue to drop nationwide, but actually are especially low in the Western U.S.
Utah has the lowest smoking rate in the country (12% in 2003) and Cal. is second (15% - 2004), with a remarkable decline of almost 33% since an agressive anti-smoking policy was inititated in 1988, while Nevada (25% - 2003) still has among the highest, but it's dropping pretty fast.
Hawaii, Colorado, Idaho and Washington were all in the top ten states for lowest smoking rates (AZ and OR were 15/16), in the 2003 data, so the the west overall is a non smoking area. About 80% of the folks don't smoke (at least intentionally), but a hell of a lot of them like to gamble.
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