December 2 is the application deadline for submitting proposals for a casino in Vigo County, Indiana. But anti-smoking supporters already are promoting a smoke-free operation.
Nick Torres, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association in Indiana, said, “Vigo County would have the first smoke-free casino in Indiana.” He noted the statewide smoke-free air law passed in 2012 exempted casinos. “However, one good aspect of the law is that the legislature recognized that local communities should maintain their local control over protecting their workers and work force from second-hand smoke in the workplace.”
Torres said, “Both the Vigo County commissioners and the Terre Haute city council each individually recognized the importance of protecting workers for secondhand smoke and enacted local policy that says all workplaces, all places of employment must be smoke-free. And a casino would certainly be a major place of employment. That was one of the main reasons folks were so excited and voted so overwhelmingly to bring a casino to Vigo County for the opportunity for new jobs and economic development. That is why from the American Lung Association’s perspective, we are excited to see more quality jobs in smoke free environments for the workforce.”
However, John Keeler, vice president and legal counsel for casino operator Spectacle Entertainment, said, “Spectacle is aware of the Terre Haute and Vigo County ordinances regarding smoking in public places. At the present time, Spectacle and our branding partner, Hard Rock, are laser-focused on successfully competing for the Vigo County license. To address operational issues at this time, before Spectacle is awarded the license, assuming we are so fortunate, is putting the cart before the horse.”
Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett said “that would be a very phenomenal thing if we were able to pull off a smoke-free casino. The state laws and local ordinances, all of that has to be kind of hashed out, but that would be, I think, a great thing to be able to promote, because a lot of people don’t indoor smoking.”
He added, “A lot of people do like to smoke, I get that, but I think that would really add something to this location that others may not have. We have to see how that applies to state law. There has been a lot of discussion about that. It will shake itself out. I think that would be a great thing to offer people who want to come here to a smoke-free environment.”
Brandon Halleck, spokesman for the Vigo County Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Coalition, said the county’s comprehensive clean indoor air workplace law “has protected Vigo County citizens for a number of years now. There are a group of folks who are going to bars and restaurants that don’t even remember what is like to have smoking in those establishments. As our local smoke-free ordinance is written, the casino will be smoke-free, The big picture is the casino has to be built here. Terre Haute has strict smoke-free air ordinances. We are excited that we have an opportunity to be a leader in the state. We sure don’t want to go backwards.”
Vigo County residents approved land-based gaming in the county in recent general election in a vote of 15,145 to 8,729, or 63.44 percent in favor to 36.56 percent against. A casino license application requires a $50,000 fee, and the license fee is $5 million. The state requires a $100 million minimum investment in a casino development. The gaming commission will award the license in the first quarter of 2020.
