Missouri set to ban smoking inside casinos

• Indoor casino smoking remains a problem in Missouri, but lawmakers seek to change that
• Two new bills in the House of Representatives have been pitched in a bid to end the exemption
• Casinos and politicians have been reluctant to act decisively on the matter over the past years

The state of Missouri is trying to imagine a future in which indoor casino smoking is a thing of the past, and the state is getting closer to making this a reality. A new draft law - The Missouri Indoor Clean Air Act - outlines what this may look like.

Time to clean the air in casinos, a pair of new bills argues

House Bill 1618, pitched by State Rep. Bruce Sassman, hopes to end the exemption that casinos enjoy by not allowing smoking inside gaming floors any longer.

The issue has proven divisive. Industry types have argued that turning smokers out would result in job losses and financial downslide, but mounting evidence suggests that the claim may be exaggerated.

At the same time, the adverse health effects from second-hand smoking are well-documented and not subject to speculation.

Casino workers have urged lawmakers to act in places such as New Jersey, and while support has been outwardly strong, little has been done to enact concrete measures.

The measure has been welcomed by CEASE Founder and Leader for Kansas and Missouri, Joe Hafley, who said that banning smoking did not have to do with some personal grudge, but rather protecting casino workers from secondhand smoke.

Speaking to FOX 2 News, a local media outlet, Hafley insisted that nobody should be forced to choose between their job and their health. He also pointed out that it was not just the casino workers who would benefit, but players too.

Many gamblers are non-smokers, for example, meaning that they too have to suffer the consequences of second-hand smoking. But whether the bill succeeds is another matter.

Smoking in casinos remains an issue

For the time being, some casinos have opted for segregation - creating places that are for non-smokers only, whereas smokers have been allowed to sit in different parts of the casinos. Many casinos have been able to cut back on smoking areas significantly, but a percentage of their gaming floors remains occupied by smokers exclusively.

It is this that the bill now seeks to end. Yet, House Bill 1618, is not the only bill that has been put forward seeking a similar outcome. A draft law backed by the State. Rep. Adrian Plank, House Bill 1901, is also pushing for the same measure, hoping to end indoor smoking at casinos.

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