Casinos May Lose Indoor Smoking Privilege in Kansas

The passage of the legislation has been welcomed by Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights CEO and president Cynthia Hallett who said that should the prohibition go into effect, both visitors and employees would end up benefiting.

Kansas Lawmakers Rally Behind Casino Workers Who Want Smoking Out

There have been heated debates all over the country about whether prohibiting indoor smoke would undermine the financial feasibility of many casinos in places such as New Jersey. In the Garden State, for example, casinos have been reluctant to snuff out cigars and cigarettes as they fear that the loss of turnover would further depress bottom lines.

Opponents have argued that casinos have recovered since the pandemic, but casinos riposte that much of the revenue has to be shared with third-party providers, and the actual margins are smaller. Covering Kansas’ bill, Hallett said:

We applaud Kansas Senators from both parties for recognizing that casino workers and guests deserve protection from dangerous second-hand smoke. Casino workers in Kansas, like in a growing number of states across the country, have been urging their legislators to act to finally end indoor smoking.

Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights CEO and President Cynthia Hallett

Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects is not limited to just New Jersey, however. Pennsylvania and Rhode Island casino workers have also taken up the rallying cry and said that they would come to support a nationwide prohibition of smoking in indoor places. In the majority of public spaces that are closed off, smoking is prohibited.

Casinos are the notable if somewhat notorious exception with the logic going that a lot of patrons would simply quit turning up if they were to not smoke inside. This is a fairly good argument, but it is outweighed by the established track record of people who suffer from smoking.

Live casino dealers with cancer have been speaking up – some accusingly while others less so. The fact remains that no matter how they feel about customer smoking in their faces, almost everyone who works in this environment cannot help but wonder if their diseases could have been avoided.

The evidence that smoking is harmful in enclosed spaces is there. Why are then casinos getting a free pass? Kansas may soon find no good reasons and introduce a ban.