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Pennsylvania Close to Imposing Full Smoking Ban in Local Casinos
February 23, 2020 TamaraTam
It was more than a decade ago that US.
Despite the prohibition, the Law has also introduced some exemptions connected to lighting up in casinos, private areas, cigar spaces, and bars. However, these exclusive cases are set to become history as a newly introduced bill prevents them all.
More About the Legislation
According to Bill 2298 (HB2298) created by Representative Dan Frankel, new rules will prevent smoking at outdoor stadiums and eliminate the usage of e-cigarettes. Commenting on the Bill, Frankel said:
“It’s a no-brainer for all workplaces and indoor public spaces to be smoke-free. From a public health, economic and social perspective, HB2298 ensures clean indoor air is not only for some workers or some establishments.”
At the moment, there are 12 casinos across the state with more satellite casinos coming soon. All these venues offer smoking areas inside their facilities, which was based on the language in the original smoking legislation. The CIAA mentioned that gambling venues can organize their gambling space by including 50% of the smoking area if they are approved by authorities. At the moment, there are about 1,800 venues that have obtained the endorsement.
Future Situation
At the present moment, gambling operators used to respect both non-smokers’ and smokers’ rights. With the inclusion of New Legislation, gambling providers will eliminate the need to care for smokers’ needs.
Meanwhile, there are some concerns that the entire smoking ban will affect the performance of casino venues. Some countries, which have already introduced a total smoking ban, have recorded a negative impact on revenues. However, there is no evidence that shows the relation between two elements.
Some operators are still against the overall lighting up prohibition. Penn National VP of Public Affairs and Government Relations, Jeff Morris, said:
“Smoking has always been allowed at Pennsylvania’s casinos. We strive to be a leader in this highly competitive business environment, and this is only obtainable when we can compete on a level playing field.”
We can only wait to see what will be decided in the next months. The businesses are more than concerned about losing their revenues and the same will continue in the future. As a reminder, lawmakers had an idea to introduce an entire smoking ban last year but they dispelled the idea after the negative impressions from the community.
Source:
“Lighting up in Pennsylvania casinos might soon be banned“, calvinayre.com, February 14, 2020.
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Smoking is like a hobby for most gamblers…I believe that the complete ban will affect the casinos’ performance, but local officials should stick to the plans. In the long run, it could be a very good step for casino venues…