The demand for smoke-free areas in California’s Indian casinos is growing, and different tribes deal with the demand in different ways.
Tribes are not required to obey the state law that bans tobacco products from most indoor businesses, and there isn’t a movement to legally force them to do so. However, opponents of public smoking continue to press for smoke-free areas within casinos, and often for completely smoke-free casinos.
Three Golden State casinos have banned smoking entirely. Others are changing their policies to make for better working environments to retain valued employees and to please the demands of patrons. Smoke-free workplaces are also cheaper to provide workers’ compensation and health insurance for.
Some casinos have tried to discourage smoking by asking customers to pay to enter designated smoking areas. But most have avoided offending the significant minority that continue to smoke and who also patronize casinos.
Other casinos wall off smoking and non-smoking areas, and some casinos provide entirely smoke-free casinos within the boundaries of the casino where smoking is allowed.
