Today's Weather: Benedict Arnold
Have A Safe And Happy Fourth Of July!
So, About That Drop In Violence...
Site of Dillinger’s Last Bank Robbery on the Auction Block
As casino revenues fall across the nation, they're falling even faller in Illinois and casino execs are blaming the state's smoking ban for the drop instead of the tanking economy. Many gambling states are reporting revenue drops of five to seven percent, but Illinois' casino revenue is down a whopping 20.3 percent, which translates to $150-160 million. Tom Swoik, executive director of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association, has been claiming all along revenues would be down with the smoking ban in effect:
There's a high correlation between smokers and gambling. Although the number of people coming to the casinos is about the same, the time they spend inside is down. They're outside smoking. And in this business, if you're not putting money in the machine or on the table—time is money.Swoik pointed to Indiana, where revenues are down only three-quarters of a percent, saying, "They have basically the same economy, the same weather...The only difference is the smoking ban." Deleware suffered a similar drop-off when they enacted their ban a few years ago but has risen back to previous levels. Cities like Elgin and Aurora have seen far less revenue this year and the execs have said they plan on pushing for legislation that would allow smoking in just casinos.
Photo by smussyolay
add to digg
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
email this
add to facebook
add to del.icio.us
yea nothing to do with foreclosures
Boo hoo.
Maybe people in Indiana are just stupider.
Why is it stupid to go to a casino? I actually think there's some truth to the smoking ban theory.
So revenues are down 20 percent in Illinois, and only 0.75 percent in Indiana? Indiana allows smoking, and Illinois does not? This is not hard to figure out, folks.
The problem here is that our state government decided to pass one of the most oppressive anti-smoking laws in the nation. Look, the state could have passed a law that allowed casinos to designate smoking and non-smoking rooms, and required casinos to accomodate employees that did not want to work in the smoking rooms. Of course, they did not, and now all of those tax dollars that could have been used to keep those state parks open are going to Indiana instead.
Although it would seem to make sense to modify the law to recognize the reality of the situation, there is no way that the anti-smoking zealots in this state will permit that. I suspect that they will instead push for equally opressive anti-smoking laws on a federal level.
Equally oppressive anti-smoking laws on the federal level solves the problem, as it removes any incentive for people to go to Indiana. (And there has to be a huge incentive to get people to go to Indiana.)
I generally think governments look too much to casinos as a quick-fix solution for free money. Casino economics are unsustainable, especially as the casino market grows more and more saturated.
Only idiots smoke & only idiots go to casinos.
Are the gamblers so stupid that they think they're going to beat the house?
No casino can stay in business if the gamblers win more than they lose.
And only Trump lost money running a casino in New Jersey, which tells you more about his lack of business acumen & his genius for self promotion, where there is an large percentage of the population that actually think he knows what he's doing.
smoking and gambling aren't "stupid." i don't think people walk into a casino hoping to get rich ... if they do, then they probably are stupid themselves. while i'm not a huge gambler, i do gamble from time to time because it's fun to do and if i win a little money doing it, even better. if i'm in Vegas i enjoy a smoke while i play cards. if i can't smoke, i'll go outside later. most casinos have great ventilation systems and are able to not only filter out the smoke, but they also pump in a shit ton of oxygen, so the air is probably better in there than it is outside.
WTF. Does anybody know if restaurant/bar alchohol sales are down since the smoking ban went into effect? Are all the smokers with addictive personalities that used to smoke in the bars/restaurants/casinos now just eating and drinking at home?
Maybe the IL smoking ban is why the Auto industry needs help or why Chicago home sales are down 20% plus and the value of homes are down 10%. Let's throw the Kennedy Assination on here too!
Everybody start smoking so we can jump-start the economy again!!! God knows I love smelling like smoke when I come home from the bars/dinner/casino at night; and there is nothing so tasty as kissing a smoker. I used to love second-hand smoking two packs a day when I would go out anwywhere.
God knows I love smelling like smoke when I come home from the bars/dinner/casino at night;
There were/are enough bars in this city to satisfy both smokers and nonsmokers. Give tax incentives to bars to go non-smoking. Issue licenses on a smoking-nonsmoking-smoking type basis. If a businesses license comes up and they don't want the one being offered, make 'em wait or something. I mean there are 50 zillion bars on Clark street between Belmont and Addison alone. YOu mean they couldn't let one or two accomodate smokers?
and there is nothing so tasty as kissing a smoker.
I think there's a way to remedy this problem...
Stealth for Gov/Mayor/Ideaman.
Hi Stealth - What about the people that work there ie servers, cooks, bar-backs etc. Companies/offices don't allow smoking in the work place?
Why do smokers always feel like they have a right to take away other peoples right NOT to smoke. If not for yourself, don't you care about the fact that your smoking affects the people around you?
I love when people start talking about their rights
Fortunately, these casino crybabies won't get this bill passed.
Hi Stealth - What about the people that work there ie servers, cooks, bar-backs etc. Companies/offices don't allow smoking in the work place?
If you know a place allows smoking, don't apply to work there. I might want to work for the Anti-Cruelty Society's shelter, but with my allergies to cats, forget about it.
Like I said, there are 50 gazillion bars and restaurants in this city (give or take a gazillion). If the city would acknowledge this and allow smoking and non-smoking establishments, then those line cooks, etc. would have a choice of where they want to work. Hell, most of the cooks, etc. I know duck out for a smoke every few minutes anyway. But to me it's silly to act like there wasn't a workable solution to this that would please everybody. We're Chicago, for crying out loud, not Podunk with only one bar and one diner.
For the record, I USED to smoke but quit about four years ago.
Sorry, one other point:
It just doesn't seem fair that some dinky hole-in-the-wall far Northwest side bar that is surviving on its last 9 or 10 regular customers, all of whom either smoke or don't mind it, has to ban smoking and risk losing them just because there's a 0.2 percent chance you might walk in there one day and be offended by the smoking.
Stealth, check out a dude named John Locke. He talks about society forminng social packs for a greater good. Its bigger than just 9 or 10 regulars and its not just about people being "offended". Its about the 200,000 people that died from Second hand Smoke before this law. Second hand smoke kills and costs the country money due to healthcare costs. If you don't belive me then do your own research.
p.s actually maybe it was Thomas Hobbes?
Illinois could solve its casino smoking ban problem by instituting the Chicago air filtration exemption statewide: Any venue can allow smoking that through air filtration makes its air cleaner than the air outdoors. I think the Casino Queen could meet this standard right now.
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webportal/COCWebPortal/COC_ATTACH/MunicipalCode7-32_1.html#7_32_080