Poll Reveals Majority of Casino Guests Prefer Smoke-Free Environments

 A new poll set to be showcased at the upcoming Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in October, shows that most casino guests even some smokers want a smoke-free place to gamble. 

Survey Shows 89% of High-Income Casino Gamblers Prefer Smoke-Free Environments

The poll done from December 2023 to January 2024, focused on people who play at casinos, tribal citizens, and those who work in casinos. The poll included people from slot influencer Brian Christopher‘s social media following. Christopher, who pushes for casinos without smoke, teamed up with the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation (ANR) to run the poll.

The study revealed that 89% of casino gamblers earning over $150,000 yearly do not smoke. Also, 34% of those surveyed said they have health issues that keep them from areas with secondhand smoke. This data calls into question the idea that banning smoking in casinos causes revenue to drop.

Brian Christopher, a big name in the casino world with almost 700,000 YouTube fans, stressed that even many smokers like smoke-free places. He pointed out that some casinos might see their revenues go down for a bit after putting a no-smoking rule in place, but this trend turns around as gamblers care more about playing than being able to smoke, reported CDC Gaming. 

The survey results will be talked about during a G2E panel called “Insights from Non-Smoking Casino Initiatives.” The panel will have Christopher, ANR President Cynthia Hallett, Tashina Williams from Potawatomi Casino Hotel Milwaukee, and Bryan Hayes of Foxwoods Resort Casino. Potawatomi and Foxwoods have put smoke-free rules into action. Foxwoods has stayed smoke-free for three years. Potawatomi allows smoking in a small gaming lounge on the second floor.

Brian Christopher Pushes for Smoke-Free Gambling Across the US

Right now, 20 states have laws that make casinos and other public places smoke-free. Other states, like New Jersey, let people smoke on casino floors but not in other public areas. After COVID, some tribal and commercial casinos started to ban smoking on their own. This shows a change in how the industry thinks.

Christopher backs smoke-free gambling. He says casinos should try to make gambling more fun instead of trying to please smokers. He wants casino owners to focus on making a fun and healthy place for people to gamble.

He points out that most of his fans agree with this idea. He thinks more casinos will stop allowing smoking in the future. He believes this will happen because customers want it and because not smoking is better for health.As lawmakers in states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania put forward bills to outlaw smoking in casino gaming areas, Christopher thinks smoke-free gambling venues will soon become the norm across the industry.