Following a 2-hour-plus debate on a smoking ban at casinos and bars, the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council voted 6-6, one vote short of passing the ordinance. About 150 people—including casino executives from L’Auberge Baton Rouge Casino and Hotel, Hollywood Casino and the Belle of Baton Rouge–attended the meeting at which 40 individuals presented the pros and cons of the issue. None of the six council members who voted against the ordinance offered an explanation for their votes but previously some had called the proposal governmental overreach.
Smoke-Free East Baton Rouge Campaign Manager Stasha Rhodes said, “We’re not going away. She said her coalition will inform voters which council members “denied thousands of people clean air at work.” The Smoke-free EBR coalition spent about $300,000 on a months-long media campaign to educate residents about the dangers of secondhand smoke, using digital billboards, radio and television ads and social media.
Casino executives said revenue would drop about 20 percent if the smoking ban passed, affecting not only the casinos but East Baton Rouge government services, including salaries for police officers, firefighters and other public safety initiatives. The city-parish received $9.8 million from contracts with casinos last year in its $830 million budget.
The casino officials cited the smoking ban that went into effect one year ago in New Orleans casinos and bars, particularly Harrah’s New Orleans Hotel and Casino’s 10 percent decline in from 2014 to 2015, its largest in the past nine years, according to Louisiana Gaming Control Board figures. Council members and some attendees disagreed over how much the smoking ban was to blame, since revenue dropped at Harrah’s from 2008 to 2011 and was flat in 2012 and 2013, with a slight increase in 2014.
Belle of Baton Rouge General Manager Patrick Browne said, “Our admissions and revenues will drop, with possible job loss.” Three L’Auberge employees also spoke, including Trivia Weatherspoon, show said, “I knew when I filled out the application that it’s a smoking environment. This is my choice. I don’t need anyone to make a choice for me.”
L’Auberge Senior Vice President of Operations and General Manager Mickey Parenton said if an employee complains about smoke, he moves him or her to a smoke-free part of the property without a change in pay.
Troy Stremming, executive vice president of government relations and public affairs for Pinnacle Entertainment, owner of L’Auberge, said a smoking ban would disadvantage L’Auberge, the newest of the area’s three casinos. “The last three-and-a-half years, Baton Rouge has had a very, very stable business environment. Now, changing the rules, if this ordinance were to pass, we think would have a huge detrimental impact,” he said, adding smoking is allowed in casinos in Lake Charles and Biloxi, Mississippi.
Those supporting the smoking ban included doctors, public health officials, former casino employees, musicians and some bar owners. Health officials said good air filtration at some casinos does not eliminate all of the hazardous chemicals in smoke that employees and patrons inhale. Physician Jule Asser asked, “Are we really so financially destitute, are we really so morally destitute that we are willing to sacrifice our workers to fill the gaps in our finances?”
Remi DeMatteo, the general manager at the Bulldog bar, said his establishment has taken in 10 percent more than its target profits each quarter since it became smoke-free one year ago. Musicians also supported the smoking ban. Kenny Neal said, “When we play in Baton Rouge, we can go home and our instruments tell us the story. We can wipe our horns or our guitars, but we can’t wipe our lungs.”
The Louisiana legislature banned smoking in all public buildings and restaurants in 2007, exempting bars and gambling establishments.
