Casinos Are Increasingly Embracing Smokefree Policies to Align With Public Opinion, But Must Do More to Eliminate Indoor Smoking

Berkeley, CA — As public opinion increasingly aligns with smokefree policies and the national adult cigarette smoking rate drops below 10%, casinos across the country are embracing smokefree policies. Recent moves by Palms Casino Resort and Choctaw Casino, along with the news of an expanded non-smoking area at the Hard Rock Tribal Casino in Florida and similar developments across the country, demonstrate that casino operators recognize a growing customer demand for smokefree gaming environments. 

In a recent CDC Gaming article, Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights president and CEO Cynthia Hallett still calls for the casino industry to do more to ensure 100% smokefree gaming properties instead of enacting half-measures that fall short of true health protections.

KEY POINT: “Hallett, president and CEO of Americans for Nonsmokers Rights, says the recent news from the Palms and Choctaw Casino & Resort is welcome. But she feels more is needed, citing ANR figures that indicate adult smoking rates are at a record low of less than 10%, and more than 90% of casino patrons prefer ‘clean indoor air.’ ‘Half-measures like designated non-smoking rooms or expanded sections fall critically short of providing true public health protections,’ Hallet says. ‘Secondhand smoke does not respect imaginary lines on gaming floors, and partial non-smoking areas still leave casino employees and patrons exposed to toxic secondhand smoke. They simply do not offer the complete air quality, safety, and comfort found at the hundreds of 100% smoke-free indoor casinos operating successfully across the United States.’”

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Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) is a member-supported, non-profit advocacy group that has been working for 50 years, since 1976, to protect everyone’s right to breathe nontoxic air in workplaces and public places, from offices and airplanes to restaurants, bars, and casinos. ANR has continuously shined a light on the tobacco industry’s interference with sound and life-saving public health measures and successfully protected 61% of the population with local or statewide smokefree workplace, restaurant, and bar laws. ANR aims to close gaps in smokefree protections for workers in all workplaces, including bars, music venues, casinos, and hotels. For more information, please visit https://nonsmokersrights.org and https://smokefreecasinos.org.