Ontario’s province wide smoking ban could cost the government’s coffers up to 250 million dollars in gambling revenue a year.

A report for the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation warns the early impact of smoking bans could knock gaming revenue down by 20 per cent.

A government memo adds the agency has already lost 131 million dollars because of municipal smoking bans.

Source: cfra.com. Link Expired

COUNTY Mayo has the third highest number of pub closures in the country over the past two years. With 48 pubs having closed throughout 2004 and 2005, Mayo is behind only Galway with 57 closures and Cork with 74.

The fact that people are now drinking more at home because of the smoking ban and cheaper alcohol prices in off-licences are being blamed on the high number of closures. In Castlebar alone, seven pubs have closed in the recent past and only one has been re-opened.

The other three counties in Connacht are at the lower end of the scale with 16 closures in Sligo, 11 in Roscommon and just nine in Leitrim. When the figures from the Connacht counties are compiled, it emerges that more than 10 per cent of all pubs in the five counties have closed their doors in the last two years.

“The smoking ban hit us hard here in the county. More and more people are drinking at home. If you are over 18, you still have to have a black ID card, even if you are working on the premises. This is discrimination really. People are now afraid to have a pint and drive.”

Source: Western People. Link