Question about Casinos and Smoking

TheJunkyardGod · #1 04-13-2006, 05:57 PM

With the New Jersey smoking law taking effect in just two days, alot of talk has been about bar and restaraunt owners protesting the law and how it exempts Atlantic City casinos (bars and restaraunts in casinos have to follow the law however).

My question is, how has this change effected casinos in other states? Was there any change that was noticable?

Let me know if this is the wrong forum, i'll close it if it is.

PSW · #2 04-13-2006, 08:02 PM

Washington started no smoking in all public spaces, including casinos. If anything, the small casino I play in occasionally is more full than ever. Even the dealers who smoke are happy about it.

psw

esch · #3 04-13-2006, 08:11 PM

One detail that I found out on my last trip is that smoking will only be allowed on the carpeted areas. No smoking on marble. At least at the Borgata. So poker players have to go a little bit further, so I'll be smoking less.

I'm starting to wonder if it would have been that hard to just put the ban in completely.

binki · #4 04-13-2006, 08:59 PM

California moved the smoking section to Arizona several years ago. Given that...

The poker clubs have no smoking in California but the Indian casinos have smoking. Both a packed all the time. No effect.

pa3lsvt · #5 04-13-2006, 11:12 PM

Bally's is the only poker room you can smoke at the tables anyway, and only for ring games. Doesn't bother me.

At the Sands, I managed to grab a smoke during a final table hand without missing an action on me by running over to the simulcast area.

TheJunkyardGod · #6 04-13-2006, 11:22 PM

Well I was mainly asking this question since I just got a job dealing and was sort of worried. The Casinos goal is to keep players at the tables, and having to get up to go smoke is going to cut down on how much they play, and how much they end up tipping.

n.s. · #7 04-14-2006, 04:21 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Well I was mainly asking this question since I just got a job dealing and was sort of worried. The Casinos goal is to keep players at the tables, and having to get up to go smoke is going to cut down on how much they play, and how much they end up tipping.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think it would actually help your tips. Players smoking = shorthanded tables = more hands/hr. As long as the game doesn't get really short (<6 handed), I think most players will continue to tip the same on their pots. This was my experience when WA state cardrooms went non-smoking.

Although overall the effect was pretty minimal.