Bill Miller, the head of the American Gaming Association, in a press conference call following the organization’s announcement of record second-quarter industry revenues in a response to a question from GGB Publisher Roger Gros, said that while many in the industry believe smoke-free policies will hurt profits, “it’s not necessarily true.”
The statement was seized upon by Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, which has been pushing for a permanent ban on indoor smoking in casinos.
“This report showing record-breaking gaming revenue offers the latest evidence that smoke-free policies are good for business,” said Cynthia Hallett, the organization’s president and CEO, in a statement. “Fear of change among some gaming executives does not justify forcing their employees to breathe harmful secondhand smoke for hours on end, and we applaud Bill Miller for acknowledging that concerns about going smoke-free hurting revenue are ‘not necessarily true.’
“Industry and elected leaders in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Nevada and elsewhere must act to close the casino loophole that treats gaming employees differently than other workers. Not only is it the right thing to do, but we continue to see that going smoke-free indoors—an obvious decision in the year 2021 and during a pandemic—is good for business.”
