The Common Council in Gary, Indiana has proposed extending the city’s smoking ban to the city’s two Majestic Star Casinos. The local law would be stricter than the state’s 2012 ban that exempted gaming facilities along with membership clubs, bars and taverns, retail tobacco shops, cigar bars, hookah bars and licensed horse racetracks. Under the law, local municipalities may expand the scope of the law, according to the Indiana Department of Health website.
Majestic Star Casino President and Chief Executive Officer Pete Liguori told council members the law would drive players to casinos in Hammond and East Chicago. Liguori said a report indicated revenue at Gary’s casinos could drop 35 percent annually, costing the city $3 million a year in gaming tax revenue.
Liguori also noted the smoking ban could lead to the loss of 400 of the company’s 1,000 casino jobs. One-third of the employees live in Gary. Several told council members how the loss of their jobs would impact them. Liguori said their stories show “the intertwined policies and economic realities that exist.” He said in his opinion the Indiana legislature was correct to exempt casinos from smoking restrictions.
At the council meeting, more than a dozen supporters of extending the smoking ban wore t-shirts that read “Every Worker Deserves the Right to Breathe Smoke-Free Air.”
No action was taken on the ordinance. A public hearing will take place November 21, at which time the council could hold a final vote on the issue.
