In response to reported plans for a smoking room at Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada, Corey Dalton, president of casino workers’ union Unifor Local 1090, said the organization “will definitely fight it to the extent we can legally fight it.”
Dalton told the OrilliaMatters, “We believe there are reasons for the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, and the health and safety of our workers are paramount. We don’t want our workers working in a smoke-filled room.”
He added that the union “absolutely rejects the idea of our cleaning staff or slot attendants or any workers being required to work in a smoking room.”
Rob Mitchell, spokesman for Gateway Casinos & Entertainment, which operates Casino Rama, said there is no “definite” plan in the works.
“It’s under consideration,” Mitchell said. “What I do know is it’s something consumers have asked for some time. It’s consumer-driven.”
Adding a smoking lounge may be a response to new competition. According to CDC Gaming Reports, Great Canadian Gaming is expected to open a new casino about 90 minutes away in Pickering, called Durham Live, next summer. That gaming facility will be larger than Rama and will have a hotel and entertainment center.
Dalton said a “big part of Casino Rama’s catchment area” includes Ajax, Pickering, Markham and Durham region.
“It is a huge concern for the future of Rama,” said Dalton. “We think this year will be a challenge, especially when Pickering opens.”
