Casino Myth or Reality: Is Allowing Smoking Good for Profit?
The Push and Pull Between Smoking Rights and Player Comfort
It’s Giving Casino Cough 😷🎲
Ah yes, the great smoking vs. non-smoking debate in casinos. Buckle up—we’re diving into facts, laws, and (as a Sin City local who walks through Las Vegas casinos to get pretty much anywhere) some very, very strong opinions.
This round of Myth or Reality asks: does allowing smoking in casinos actually increase foot traffic and profits, or is that just a myth pushed by Big Tobacco…or maybe just misread data?
Smoking and gambling have long gone hand in hand (literally—one on the slots, one on a cowboy killer). But smoking rates have been steadily declining for decades. So the real question is: Is a smoke-free casino what we need now?
Looking at the data? The answer is a resounding yes. Going by the experience of the 90% of U.S. adults who don’t smoke cigarettes? Also, yes, a big fat yes.
58% of Nevada voters want smoking banned in casinos, according to a new poll.
61% say they’re more likely to visit an entirely smoke-free casino.
Only one Las Vegas casino is entirely smoke-free, currently.
— Las Vegas Locally 🌴 (@LasVegasLocally) April 25, 2024
More Casino Myths
- Casino Myth or Reality: Can You Get Arrested for Counting Cards?
- Casino Myth or Reality: Do Scents in Casinos Affect the Brain?
- Casino Myth or Reality: No Photos Allowed Inside?
Time to Ban Smoking in Casinos?
In recent casino news, the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation (ANRF), alongside Trinity Health, filed shareholder proposals urging major casino companies to seriously consider the financial upside of going smoke-free, which would ideally result in gambling regulations shifting to ban indoor smoking.
Out of 27 states with commercial casinos or racinos, only 11 have completely smoke-free gaming floors. Many still allow smoking, mostly out of fear they’ll lose revenue—but that fear is starting to look outdated.
Friendly reminder that Park MGM is the only fully smoke-free casino on the strip pic.twitter.com/TwZcgenSTj
— Jacob Orth (@JacobsVegasLife) September 22, 2023
Why the push for change? Because smoking is on its way out. As of 2022, only 11.6% of U.S. adults smoke, down from 42.4% in 1965. It’s a historic decline (shout out vaping). Cigarette smokers are a shrinking demo, and maybe not the best bet to build a business around.
Smoking Is an Inconvenience for Other Patrons
Socially, indoor smoking is isolating. Every time friends visit me in Vegas, the top complaint is always, “Ugh, I smell like an ashtray.” Health risks aside, most people are turned off by the smell and that suffocating cloud of stale smoke—not necessarily the moral implications of secondhand exposure.
Think about it: 100 people in a casino, 2 are smoking. That’s 98 people being inconvenienced. Want an “everyone wins” solution? Ban cigarettes and allow discrete vaping. Neither is great for your lungs, but this isn’t about health—it’s about keeping people inside and spending money. And honestly? I’ve never met a smoker who felt entitled to everyone else’s air. I don’t think a ban will result in the uproar the casinos think it will.
Walking through the casinos in Vegas even the babies are smoking cigarettes pic.twitter.com/60ZEbzmBDv
— GOTHICC (@frankenfemme_) October 26, 2023
Plus, no one cares if a 23-year-old girl is puffing mango mist and blowing it at the ground. It’s the stink of Marlboro Reds that clings to your hair and clothes in 20 seconds flat. That’s what drives people away.
So, myth or reality? Total myth. The data says so. The people say so. And your nose absolutely says so. Time for casinos to let go of the smoke and lean into the fresh air of the future. Until then, we’ll be seeking refuge at the online casino where we can play for real money without the cigarette smoke in our eyes.
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