Rally For Casino Smoking Ban In Pittsburgh

In Pittsburgh, casino workers and health advocates organized a rally outside Rivers Casino Pittsburgh to promote a smoking ban in Pennsylvania casinos. Tracy Kennedy, Midwest strategist for the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, highlighted that smoking bans in casinos are one of the gaming industry’s most significant issues. Several state legislators and health advocates participated in the rally, emphasizing the need for change in casino smoking regulations.

The Debate Over Smoking Exemptions In Casinos

Currently, 20 states have banned smoking in commercial casinos, with over 150 tribal casinos following suit. States like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Kansas have considered repealing smoking exemptions this year, but none have succeeded. Opponents of the ban argue it could reduce revenue, while advocates like casino dealer Jennifer Rubolino and union leader Vance Valentine III stress the health risks for casino workers, calling it a «life and death» issue.

— Jennifer Rubolino, a Rivers Pittsburgh dealer who is active in the group CEASE(Casino Employees Against Smoking’s Effects) in Pennsylvania, said: “This is a health issue. Why do we have to beat around the bush?”. 

— Kennedy noted that Parx Casino in Philadelphia voluntarily went smoke-free after the COVID mask mandate ended.

— State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Pittsburgh, has repeatedly introduced a bill to repeal the casino exemption.

— Operators argue that a smoking ban would reduce their revenue and cut into state gambling tax collections, although many casinos are located in smoke-free states. Bally’s, a $1.7 billion casino-hotel in Chicago, would be required by those states’ laws to have a smoking ban.

— Kennedy said smoking bans in workplaces are so common that many people are surprised to learn that many gaming floors allow smoking. 

— Valentine recalled working at an engine plant outside Buffalo, N.Y., where safety signs encouraged workers to “go home the way they came.” For casino workers, that means, “You can’t go home from these casinos without the smell of smoke, without the nicotine that you bring into your family. We want casino workers to know that we support them.”