Nationwide and around the world the loss of businesses and jobs after smoking bans are implemented is staggering. Even though air quality testing by organizations like the American Cancer Society, Johns Hopkins, a Minnesota Environmental Health Department, British Medical Journal published contributors prove that secondhand smoke levels are 15 – 25,000 times SAFER than OSHA permissible exposure limits (PEL).

Meanwhile Nicoderm manufacturer Johnson & Johnson Company, whose private foundation RWJF funds the smoking ban movement, saw 40% 1st quarter 2008 revenue growth over their previous year.

Currently, smoking cessation product sales just in the U.S. accounts for $500 million, but thanks to rent seeking smoking ban legislation; industry insiders expect those sales to climb to $4.6 billion annually by 2016.

Source: Casino Gambeling Web.  Link.

Source: Telegraph.  Link

Revenues for casinos in Cripple Creek, along with Colorado’s other gaming towns, have fallen every month this year. In September, Cripple Creek gaming revenues fell 10.3 percent to $12.8 million compared to the same month in 2007, according to the state Division of Gaming. Statewide, gaming revenue was off 18.7 percent in September and 11.4 percent for the year to date.

Source: Hotel Online. Link.

A temporary ban took effect on Oct. 15 because the council changed its mind too late to prevent a previously approved ordinance from taking effect.

Casino workers said the past 12 days have been great without having to breathe secondhand smoke. But casino operators said revenue has plunged 10 percent or more since.

The second comment gives a good insight into the nanny mind:

Hopefully, Atlantic City’s City Council has the courage to keep the smoking ban in place. Yes, it will cost jobs, taxes and possibly bankrupt some of the weaker joints. So what. Why should dealers and other floor workers be subjected to the health risks of secondhand smoke.

So we’re going to protect them by costing them their jobs?  Brilliant!

Source: NJ.com.  Link

{So their solution to the ban killing their business is to spread it to their competition.  Brilliant.}

Source: The Wall Street Journal.  Link

In hotels last month, poker machine turnover was down nearly twenty percent. Millions of dollars are being lost, and some casino operators are blaming the smoking ban, yet other believe there are more
factors at play.

“There is growing evidence that the continuing drop in revenue is not related just to the indoor bans. With petrol prices up substantially this year and several more interest rate increases announced, households are clearly reducing how much they gamble,” said Chief Executive of Clubs NSW, David Costello.

The weather last month also has taken some of the blame from club owners. When it rains heavy like it did last month, smokers are less inclined to go out knowing they will have to go outside in the rain to smoke.

Compared to last year’s March numbers, the numbers are drastically down. In hotels, poker machine turnover is down nineteen percent. Clubs saw a decrease of eleven percent from last year in the same month.

Source: Casino Gambling Web. Link

Colorado casino revenues in April fell for the fourth straight month since the smoking ban took effect in January, dropping 7.1 percent from March and down 12.5 percent from April, 2007.

It was the second-biggest year-to-year decrease ever, behind March.

In Cripple Creek, revenue fell 6.4 percent to $10.7 million in April, off 13.3 percent from
April, 2007.

Cripple Creek casinos have brought in a total of $42.6 million in 2008, off 14.7 percent from this point in 2007.

Source: The Gazette. Link

Each of the state’s nine riverboat gambling sites took in less money in April than they did in the same month last year, for an average loss of about 19 percent, according to the Illinois Gaming Board’s monthly report. Each casino also saw its revenues and attendance drop from March to April.

Revenue drops between April and the same month last year range from a nearly 27 percent drop in Alton to a 5 percent decrease in East St. Louis. Casino Rock Island posted a loss in the same period of 17 percent. Metropolis showed a 25.5 percent loss. The Empress Casino in Joliet lost about 26.5 percent in revenue over last April and Harrah’s Casino in Joliet lost almost 18 percent.

Source: jg-tc online.  Link

DENVER — Revenues at Colorado casinos took their biggest hit in year-to-year comparisons since the inception of the statewide smoking ban in January.

According to the Colorado Division of Gambling, casinos made $63.3 million in adjusted gross proceeds in March, down 15.2 percent from $74.5 million in March 2007.

Revenues for January were down 3.6 percent and 10.1 percent in February as compared to last year.

Source: The Denver Channel. Link

Initially, the $92 million new casino,which opened last summer, saw revenues increase from the smaller boat,but business has declined since January 1st when the state’s ban on smoking in public places took effect.

Casino manager tom Monaghan says the drop in business has been devastating. He says because of the smoking ban, he fears gamblers are going to new nearby competing casinos across the river in Missouri, where gamblers still can smoke.

Source: WTHITV. Link

The company, which owns 169 clubs, will close the doors for good at five of its worst-performing sites this weekend.

West Granton in Edinburgh, Winton in Bournemouth and Bedminster in Bristol will be among the clubs closed.

Last year, Gala’s rival, stock market-listed Rank, closed 17 clubs.

Source: This Is Money. Link

Casino officials claim guests are spending less on entertainment and making fewer trips because of the ban and the casino suffered a drop in visitation compared to the previous six-month average.

Metropolis Mayor Billy McDaniel pointed out Thursday that he predicted when the smoking ban went into effect January 1, that it would have negative consequences on the local economy.

Source: WQAD.com. Link

As casino revenues drop, so do payments to states, revenue which is desperately needed to fund budgets across the country. Can’t the would-be do-gooders relax for once, and allow people freedom of choice?

Source: Online Casino Advisory. Link

The study looked at annual gaming machine revenues following the Victorian Government’s introduction in September 2002 of a ban on people smoking while playing pokies at the state’s 523 gaming venues.

Average monthly turnover fell from $218 million to $188 million after the ban, which forced gamblers to use special rooms or leave the venues if they wanted to smoke.

Figures for subsequent years show the initial “significant abrupt” fall has been maintained.

The researchers from VicHealth’s Centre for Tobacco Control said the requirement to walk away from the machines to smoke “may provide time for reflection on losing”.

The centre’s executive director, Fiona Sharkie, said the smoking bans, introduced primarily to protect the health of hotel and club patrons and staff, had resulted in the additional social benefit of helping problem gamblers because they were often also heavy smokers. Smoking rates are higher among gamblers, with up to 86 per cent of problem gamblers being smokers, she said.

Smokers make up 36 per cent of patrons at gambling venues, yet account for 50 per cent of the losses.

“The way the smoke-free policy has reduced gambling activity is not certain and could take a number of different forms,” says the study, published in this month’s Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

“It may mean that gamblers are spending more time in areas where smoking is permitted, therefore reducing the time they spend at the machines, or that they are leaving the venue earlier after taking a break to smoke, rather than staying.”

Source: The Australian. Link

“There is no question the smoking ban had a dramatic impact on our route operations and has fundamentally changed the slot route industry,” Herbst Gaming President Ed Herbst said in a conference call with analysts.

Source: Casino City Times. Link

Analysts say that smokers spend on average 10% of their playing time on cigarette breaks, and aside from the time lost, once they have left the table, they are less likely to return, after mulling over their losses. Whereas players used to use the slot machines in the breaks, they are now more likely to head outside for a smoke.

In the summer, Gala, Britain’s biggest bingo network, forecast the closure of around 7% of its 170 clubs, due to the predicted impact of the smoking ban. In September, Mecca Bingo announced it was cutting 200 jobs as it struggled to cope with falling profits.

Source: Casino Times. Link

Rising costs and a 14 percent drop in sales in Scotland following the introduction of a smoking ban is having a negative impact on earnings at Rank’s gaming divisions, the London-based company said today in a Regulatory News Service statement.

Rank plans to carry out a strategic review of Hard Rock to assess whether it should retain the division, according to the statement. Merrill Lynch is advising the company on this review, which will be completed within a “few months,” Rank said.

Rank’s shares fell 1.25 pence, or 0.6 percent, to 198.25 pence in London yesterday. The company’s shares have dropped 35 percent in 2006, the biggest drop in the 30-member FTSE 350 Travel & Leisure Index, which has gained 2.6 percent.

Source: Bloomberg.com Link

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

Six months ago, that hub teemed with activity, drawing several thousand people on any given weekend. Now, business is down more than 50 percent. The Kernses, both in their 60s, have laid off employees and significantly trimmed their hours of operation.

Source: World Magazine. Link

The casino’s senior managers have told the union they are predicting at least a 30 per cent drop in business followed by layoffs, Lewenza told Pupatello in a letter.

Source: The Windsor Star. Link

Source: cbc.ca. Link Expired.

The company revised downwards its earnings guidance for fiscal 2005 to between $NZ100 million and $NZ103 million ($A94 million and $A97 million), saying the introduction of smoking bans in New Zealand in December 2004 had had a significant impact on revenue at hospitality and entertainment venues.

Source: smn.com.au. Link

The survey polled restaurants, coffee shops, bars, lounges, bingo halls and the Casino . Of those, 93-percent of the bars and lounges contacted say they have suffered losses since the ban was imposed. Of those who say business is down, average losses reportedly averaged 43-percent.

All of them say they have laid off or reduced staff and they also say reduced sales have forced them to cut back on the business they do with their suppliers.

Bingo Halls, meantime, say their losses are at 30-percent or more and the Thunder Bay Casino is also reporting losses, although specific numbers were not made available. Restaurants appear to be affected the least with 74-percent reporting no change in business.

The smoking ban has apparently been good news for bars outside of the city not subject to the ban. The Chamber survey says operators near Thunder Bay are enjoying significant increases especially on weekends. The Casino at Grand Portage, where smoking is also still allowed, is also reporting an increase in its numbers.

Source: Thunder Bay’s Source. Link

All parties agree that in the year after Victoria banned smoking in gaming rooms, poker machine turnover dropped by 5 per cent.

Source: smh.com.au Link