December 27th, 2010 – by Glen Farmer
The gambling industry in Illinois may finally manage to get around the smoking ban that has not helped their revenue over the years. A pair of bills are currently being considered by legislators that would, in one way or another, allow smoking in some portions of the casinos in Illinois.
In one bill, the casinos would be entitled offer separate, ventilated rooms for smokers. Like smoking sections in restaurants, this area would be slightly separated from the rest of the casino.
The second bill would work somewhat differently, and is more encompassing. This bill would lift the ban entirely on any riverboat casino in Illinois if the nearest neighboring state does not have a smoking ban. Should the neighboring state ban smoking, the ban would go back into effect.
Several casinos have cited the smoking ban as a cause for declining revenue. The casinos have been working to remove the ban, as gambling revenue has been on the decline ever since the ban came into effect two years ago. In September, the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability reported that casino gambling revenue is down to its lowest trough in ten years.
Some have cited the nation’s sluggish economy rather than the smoking ban as the cause for declining revenue.
State law makers may finally give into the casino’s demands. Weighing the cost of health to the much needed revenue has been a cause of concern in the state.