By Howard Stutz, The Nevada Independent
October 9, 2024- The addition of a nonsmoking slot machine area at the downtown Plaza Hotel & Casino nearly 18 months ago seemed like an afterthought.
One of four components added to the resort’s closed porte cochère driveway, which was permanently closed to vehicle traffic along Main Street, was the smoke-free gaming space. The space has fewer than 100 slot machines, is endorsed by popular slot machine influencer Brian Christopher and has proven successful.
“We found there is a customer market for having this option,” Plaza CEO Jonathan Jossel said in a phone interview Monday.
Although he has no plans to turn the Plaza into a full nonsmoking casino, he said the 2,500-square-foot space will be renovated to give it “more connectivity” to the main casino.
“The area feels like a box. There is not a lot of foot traffic,” Jossel said, adding that plans are underway to bring a food and beverage outlet nearby and provide better access to the location in the next 12 months.
The Plaza would also add more games endorsed by Christopher, a smoke-free casino advocate whose social media channels, where he rates and ranks slot machines, reach 8 million unique viewers monthly.
“From my perspective, if you have this option, you have to do it justice,” Jossel said. “That way, we’ll have a better understanding of what our customer truly wants.”
The comments from Jossel may not completely appease the vocal audience of nonsmoking casino advocates. But in Las Vegas, which has for nearly two decades exempted casino floors from an otherwise broad indoor smoking ban and has just one smoke-free casino — the Strip’s Park MGM — the Plaza’s efforts help move the needle in a favorable direction.
For the second straight year, the debate about smoke-free casinos is on the agenda at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) at the Venetian Expo. The industry’s largest annual trade show and conference has long been targeted by nonsmoking activists and protesters. Casinos had long been the last holdout to smoking bans, which permeate the country’s grocery stores, restaurants, offices and other public spaces.
Last year’s conference marked the first time a panel discussion on smoke-free gaming was part of G2E’s schedule.
In addition to operators of two tribal smoke-free casinos in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, anti-smoking proponents have new research for Wednesday’s panel, which shows that 86 percent of casino patrons prefer smoke-free gambling floors.
The online survey, conducted on behalf of Christopher and the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, explored the attitudes toward smoking by more than 2,100 casino customers. To those customers, gambling in a smoke-free casino was a larger factor in deciding where to play — 61 percent — than cleanliness, travel distance and slot payouts.
Cynthia Hallett, CEO of the nonsmokers’ rights group, cited a recent Gallup poll that showed just 11 percent of the U.S. population still smokes, an all-time low. She said the findings in the survey bring additional credence to the issue, given that more than 20 states mandate smoke-free indoor gaming venues.
“Certainly, casino customers are looking for smoke-free environments, so I’m a little surprised some states or operators aren’t moving in that direction,” Hallett said. “Many of the smoke-free casinos are doing well. They are expanding their business. Clearly, things are going well.”
Nevada was one of 13 states where gaming regulators received a letter from Hallett last month asking that regulations be adopted to require casinos to go smoke-free.
“We did get friendly, polite responses back, basically acknowledging receipt of the letter and saying that they would review it,” Hallett said, including a response from Nevada Gaming Commission Chairwoman Jennifer Togliatti.
In Nevada, casino floors were exempted by the voter-approved Nevada Clean Air Act in 2006. However, neighborhood taverns, which offered bartop slot machines but also operated small restaurants, saw their business put into turmoil. The locations could only allow indoor smoking if they eliminated the kitchens (restaurants had to be smoke-free).
Nevada lawmakers changed the tavern restrictions in 2011. Smoking could coexist with food service and gaming, but entry was restricted to those 21 and older. If a location walled off the smoking area from the restaurant space, patrons younger than 21 could be admitted.
Christopher, who has a slot machine deal with Las Vegas-based gaming manufacturer Gaming Arts and recently signed a deal with BetMGM for the company’s online casinos, said he was gratified by the expansion plans for nonsmoking space at the Plaza.
He added that the gaming industry has long adapted to change and going smoke-free shouldn’t be viewed as a damper on business.
“Adding smoking to a casino might bring in a few customers but you’re going to chase out the gamblers that don’t smoke,” Christopher said. “I think the stats from the survey speak for themselves. Do your math and figure it out. People are going to stay longer and have more fun when smoking isn’t involved.”
