Iowa and West Virginia offer examples of how casinos deal with the issue of smoking. In Iowa, lawmakers are reviewing a measure that could completely ban smoking in casinos. In West Virginia, the smoking pavilion at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort in Newell offers a solution for players who smoke.
Currently, Iowa’s SmokeFree Air Act exempts casinos. Most of the state’s casinos offer non-smoking areas. But state Senator Fro Ames’ bill would totally ban smoking at casinos, primarily to protect casino employees’ health. “There was someone on a heart transplant list, there are other people who have already suffered adverse health consequences because of their exposure to second hand smoke,” Ames said. However, Wes Ehrecke, president of the Iowa Gaming Association, responded that Iowa casinos would be at a competitive disadvantage if smoking were eliminated. He noted several casinos in the state have installed new filtration systems to minimize smoke.
Hancock County, West Virginia banned smoking in enclosed public places in July. Casino officials expressed concern players would find other places to gamble and that the ban would lead to a 20 percent drop in revenue. Mountaineer General Manager Chris Kern said the decline has been 8-12 percent. He credits the casino’s smoking pavilion, which has been used by 100,000 July through early September. Built at a cost of $2 million, Kern said the pavilion’s two exterior walls are five feet beyond the roofline and do not touch the roof; therefore it complies with the county smoking ban.
