Bills to Loosen Indoor Smoking Ban Pass House Committee

By Chuck Sudo in News on Mar 10, 2011 4:45PM

A bill to amend the indoor smoking ban to exclude casinos and bars passed the Illinois House Executive Committee yesterday. Tom Swoik, executive director of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association, framed the legislation now going before the full house in terms of lost casino revenues, which he claims are more the result of gamblers running to border states where smoking is allowed in casinos than the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Illinois's gaming industry lost 1,400 jobs and casino revenues going to Springfield have declined by $770 million. If Swoik thinks that allowing smoking in casinos will reverse that trend, more power to him. Proponents of the smoking ban say that the increased casino revenue that may happen if the ban is loosened doesn't balance out the risk to public health.

Even if the bill passes the House, it may stall in the Senate, where President John Cullerton is opposed to any amendment of the smoking ban.