n/s N.O.

[Tedlark]

I'm sure Harrah's is lobbying for an exception. 16% is a significant cut. Not too surprised though.
    All of the Illinois casinos tried lobbying for an exemption when Illinois went smoke free several years ago; they were not successful.

[DougJ]

. . .
Illinois casinos have suffered since they were forced to go non-smoking. Ohio casinos have added partially outdoor gaming areas so you can smoke...

Actually, there are many reasons why Illinois casinos have sustained decreased revenue, not solely because of the smoking ban.   Market saturation is key in Illinois. Besides casinos, you have over 16,000 video gambling terminals in bars, truck stops, and your local VFW.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... -a-bad-bet

Why I never gamble in Missouri casinos: 26% of the state population are smokers, the highest in the nation. Ugh. Illinois is a dream come true.

[notes1]

 
Actually, there are many reasons why Illinois casinos have sustained decreased revenue, not solely because of the smoking ban.   Market saturation is key in Illinois. Besides casinos, you have over 16,000 video gambling terminals in bars, truck stops, and your local VFW.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... -a-bad-bet

Why I never gamble in Missouri casinos: 26% of the state population are smokers, the highest in the nation. Ugh. Illinois is a dream come true.


 i do not think the debate is about whether smoking is harmful, every smoker knows this. and, there are many reasons why casino business is down. the question is how does NO casino react to the loss of business. and, it seems there are only a few options, reduce costs/employment and/or reduce the payouts. the smoking players have already responded, drive an hour away and play in biloxi. the LA government will also respond to lower tax revenues, likely to be tax increases somewhere else. in AC, the new REVEL casino was a non smokers paradise. granted, a lot went wrong with the economy when it opened, but, the concept of a total non smoking casino, when alternatives were available, failed miserably.

[WhitneyReed]

Why I never gamble in Missouri casinos: 26% of the state population are smokers, the highest in the nation. Ugh. Illinois is a dream come true.



And not coincidentally Missouri has the lowest cigarette tax in the country!

[Tedlark]

notes even with the ban on smoking indoors in public places I don't think cigarette tax revenue has taken too big a hit. What has hurt more are the smokers now buying cigarettes in states neighboring Illinois.

I don't believe that Illinois has reached saturation with regard to the number of casinos in the state either. I would rather play in a brick and mortar casino then sit in a restaurant and play.

[notes1]

notes even with the ban on smoking indoors in public places I don't think cigarette tax revenue has taken too big a hit. What has hurt more are the smokers now buying cigarettes in states neighboring Illinois.

  
 ted, my comments had nothing to do with the tobacco tax in any state, i have no idea. i was simply noting that LA was likely to lose tax revenue from gambling to MISS. for those who want to smoke, they will just make the drive to biloxi. no different if one area eliminated drinking and a another area close by offered booze, guess who will lose business. this sounds like what is happening in your state, as many drive elsewhere to get their smoking fix.

[WVRadar]

   notes even with the ban on smoking indoors in public places I don't think cigarette tax revenue has taken too big a hit. What has hurt more are the smokers now buying cigarettes in states neighboring Illinois.

I smoked for about twenty years before I quit over twenty years ago. I was in the service when I first started and during my tour overseas you could buy cartons of cigarettes tax free at the Base Exchange for $2.20! That's a carton, not a pack. I cringe when I see people paying twice that for one pack of cigarettes.

It wasn't because of my health that I quit. It seemed that every time you turned around the states were adding to the amount of taxes on cigarettes. One of the few taxes politicians can add onto and still get elected.

[DougJ]

[/QUOTE]
 i do not think the debate is about whether smoking is harmful, every smoker knows this. and, there are many reasons why casino business is down. the question is how does NO casino react to the loss of business. and, it seems there are only a few options, reduce costs/employment and/or reduce the payouts. the smoking players have already responded, drive an hour away and play in biloxi. the LA government will also respond to lower tax revenues, likely to be tax increases somewhere else. in AC, the new REVEL casino was a non smokers paradise. granted, a lot went wrong with the economy when it opened, but, the concept of a total non smoking casino, when alternatives were available, failed miserably.[/QUOTE]

No one ever said the debate here is over the effects of smoking. I was replying to another poster who suggested that Illinois casinos have suffered due to the statewide smoking ban. My post clearly states that there are other factual reasons why revenue may or may not have declined.

You said in your first post that you "heard" New Orleans revenue is down and you "heard" smokers are going to Biloxi. Statistical evidence for this?

Much handwringing over nothing. Ask the owners of Rivers Casino in Illinois . . . how's that smoking ban working out for ya?

[notes1]

[QUOTE=DougJ]
 

You said in your first post that you "heard" New Orleans revenue is down and you "heard" smokers are going to Biloxi. Statistical evidence for this?

Much handwringing over nothing. Ask the owners of Rivers Casino in Illinois . . . how's that smoking ban working out for ya?



QUOTE]
 i was quoting an article in the TIMES PACYUNE, the prime newspaper in NEW ORLEANS. the article is dated 06/09/2015. the article quotes a HARRAHS spokesperson. is that enough evidence for you? may not cause any handwringing for you, but if you were an employee of the casino and revenue drops, it could effect your job. if you were a regular player at that casino and they need to make up for loss revenue, by increasing holds, it would effect you. i would guess there were a number of folks in AC back in 2008 when revenue began to drop, that felt it was 'much handwringing over nothing.'  now that revenue has dropped almost 50%, thousands of jobs lost and the city facing bankrupcy, maybe they feel a little different.  if there was a smoking ban or a drinking ban or any other new regulation and there is no alternative, it might not matter. but, these folks have an alternative just a short ride away. that was the point for originally starting the post. 

[DougJ]

. . . . ]i would guess there were a number of folks in AC back in 2008 when revenue began to drop, that felt it was 'much handwringing over nothing.'  now that revenue has dropped almost 50%, thousands of jobs lost and the city facing bankrupcy, maybe they feel a little different.  if there was a smoking ban or a drinking ban or any other new regulation and there is no alternative, it might not matter. but, these folks have an alternative just a short ride away. that was the point for originally starting the post. 

Are you suggesting that in AC back in 2008 that revenue dropped because of a statewide smoking ban? Hmmm.

Are you suggesting that "now that revenue has dropped almost 50% etc . . . ", that it is because of a statewide smoking ban? Hmmm.

Repeating here: there are other factual reasons for declining casino revenue, including market saturation, and oh yeah, competition across the state line. For AC, that includes PA and NY.

Much handwringing there.

Lots to read out there, if bothered:

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/13/0 ... -at-revel/

Which notes that there are smoke free casinos in Maryland, New York, etc.
Poor smokers, sniff sniff.