The owners of a café in the northern city of Groningen will appear in court today on charges of violating the recently introduced smoking ban for the catering industry. The owners of Café De Kachel were caught six times allowing their patrons to smoke.

They argue their turnover went down by 60 percent after the introduction of the ban and say they had no choice but to put the ashtrays back on the tables. The owners are facing a maximum fine of 18,500 euros, and the judge can order the café temporarily closed.

Many of Groningen’s publicans are expected to attend the trial to offer the owners of De Kachel moral support.

Source: Radion Netherlands.  Link

The province’s take from VLTs continues to slide, with gaming officials and bar owners saying smoking bans could be a factor.

And the province has made allowances for bars hosting VLTs whose machine revenues might be undermined by butting-out laws.

Revenue from VLTs in 2008-09 are forecast to fall $60 million from the province’s prediction earlier this year to $619 million.

That’s down from $703 million in 2007-08 and $735 million the year before that.

Machines are located in bars and lounges, which were forced to adhere to earlier smoking prohibitions in Calgary and Edmonton and a blanket provincial ban a year ago. It’s hard to explain the trend, said Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission spokeswoman Lynn Hutchings-Mah, adding a butt ban could be a factor.

“If you have a smoking ban or a cold snap, that could drive business down,” she said.

Calgary’s two-year-old smoking ban has cut VLT use, said Sherry Morrison, owner of Shuckaluck’s Public Ale House, 11440 Braeside Dr. S.W., adding the take from her machines has fallen 15% to 20%.

Source: Calgary Sun.  Link