Doug is not a happy man. As a casino employee in Cripple Creek he sees gloomy days ahead, New Year's Eve to be exact. On January 1, 2008 the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act stretches its tentacles into Colorado's casinos and in more than a few casinos the management and employees alike are justifiably nervous. Concerns of layoffs and even closures are common and some employees have even begun preparing for such by updating their resumes and contacting previous employers, hedging their bets you might say.
A recent informal poll taken at one of the casinos indicated that 67% of the patrons are smokers, at least on that specific evening and at that specific casino. Of those 67% many indicated they'd be less likely to return after the ban is implemented and quite a few stated unequivocally that they would not visit once the ban was implemented, planning instead to make routine trips to Nevada's casinos.
The percentage is significant especially when one considers that the gaming industry relies heavily on repeat business, the so called "whales" who regularly visit the casino with larger than average bankrolls or with moderate sums several times per week. It is these customers who may very well abandon their long time favorites and move on to new waters such as Las Vegas, Nevada or Deadwood, South Dakota, places where smoking patrons are still welcomed. Tourists are a significant revenue source for the casinos as well but they typically visit only on weekends and their numbers decrease significantly in the winter months. The casinos operate seven days per week and year-round so it's of little surprise that these "whales" are a prized catch.
Anti-Smoking advocates have long stated that once the smoking ban is in place the influx of new customers who prefer the smoke-free environment will more than compensate for the few smokers who opt not to return. They may be right and that would certainly be a blessing for the casinos but there are few credible studies that support this theory and those studies that do are equaled in number by those that do not.
Statistically the results vary depending upon whose study you consider. Those funded by medical-related organizations and anti-smoking advocacy groups seem to indicate that those States which imposed similar bans have seen little if any economic change. Those published by other organizations including several merchant organizations seem to indicate the imposed bans resulted in serious hardships and in some cases were responsible for the closure of businesses. The varying results are of no surprise as statistics can often be made to say whatever one wishes and of equal importance there are few studies on either side of the picture which concentrate on the gaming industry itself.
Compounding the dilemma of relying on the statistics or any other speculating indicators is the fact that the people of Colorado are notoriously protective of the anything that they consider a "right" and often reactive to any intrusion into their personal lives. As with many of our elections, this may be too close to call.
There is no question that a smoke-free environment is a healthy one and that second-hand smoke poses a risk to employees and patrons alike, but the price we pay may be enormous. It is conceivable that our State will suffer a significant decrease in tax revenue from the casinos and that people will lose jobs. Casinos may close and tourism may decrease. On the other hand, those who pushed for the passage of the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act may be correct and the gaming industry here will continue much as it has since 1991.
Our legislators have taken a big gamble. Fitting I suppose since those that stand to be most affected are those in the gaming industry. Unfortunately our legislators did so without the courtesy of asking the people for their opinion and chose instead to place their bet based solely upon the advice of a few outspoken special interest groups. The dice rolls at the stroke of midnight on New Years Eve. Will it be a seven or will they crap out?
It's a huge wager and you can bet Doug and many of his co-workers will be tableside watching to see which way the chips move. Their livelihood depends on it.
UPDATE:
During a recent visit we told that the casinos did not intent to pick up the ashtrays on New Years Eve, that they would do so upon opening the following day. A rumor only.