Caesars Entertainment Board of Directors unanimously voted down a proposal from shareholders on Tuesday that would investigate the potential cost savings from going smoke-free in its retail casinos, including Harrah’s Philadelphia in Chester.
Despite Pennsylvania passing the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2008, there are loopholes that allow smoking on the gaming floor inside casinos.
Both of Parx Casino‘s locations in Bensalem and Shippensburg are the only two properties that are voluntarily smoke-free in the state. The Bensalem property has not skipped a beat, as its been the top-grossing casino for years in the Keystone State.
Allegheny County Democratic Rep. Dan Frankel introduced a bill last September that would eliminate smoking altogether in Pennsylvania casinos.
Smoke-free casinos ‘may risk alienating’ customers
Caesars’ Board of Directors decided to vote against the a shareholders’ proposal of implementing a smoke-free policy inside casinos, which would include Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Caesars shareholders referenced PlayPennsylvania‘s story from February 2023 when Parx Chief Marketing Officer Marc Oppenheimer told us that employee healthcare costs decreased since going smoke-free. The proposal would study the potential cost-savings from going smoke-free. However, the board unanimously shot down the proposal.
The board issued a state in a proxy report that addressed the smoking debate:
“Determining the smoking policy for our properties is a complex business decision and we believe our current policies strike the appropriate balance in appealing to both smoking and non-smoking customers.
“We believe that completely banning smoking from all our properties where it is not legally required may risk alienating our smoking customers.
“We want to cater to as many customers as possible and we believe our current policies strike the appropriate balance in appealing to both smoking and non-smoking customers.”
Despite spurning the proposal, the board also said that it takes “the health of all our customers seriously.” The board did not mention the health of employees and did not provide any measures on customer protections.
There is still a chance that casino smoking is banned in Pennsylvania through Frankel’s bill.
Keystone State casino workers apply pressure to lawmakers amid stagnant period
Frankel introduced the bill last September and it passed through the House Committee in November. That indicated some urgency in the matter.
A vote to amend the bill had been scheduled for April, but was pulled from the agenda to ensure enough votes. Frankel’s office did not respond to PlayPennsylvania on Tuesday when asked for an update.
However, Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) members are not sitting on their hands. The group, led by Rivers Casino Pittsburgh dealer, Jennifer Rubolino, rallied at the at the Capitol Building in Harrisburg pleading lawmakers to pass the Protecting Workers from Secondhand Smoke Act.
“Legislators have a responsibility to stand with workers, and that means ensuring the safety of everyone in the workplace, starting with eliminating indoor smoking in our casinos,” Rubolino said in a statement.
“Closing the casino smoking loophole is not just a moral duty but a smart decision for the state, especially considering that 90% of guests do not smoke. We’ve seen the success of smoke-free casinos in this state, like Parx Casino, which has voluntarily operated smoke-free. How do you put a price on the health of employees? We urge legislators to pass comprehensive smoke-free laws to ensure that no one has to sacrifice their health for a paycheck.”
While CEASE members in New Jersey filed a lawsuit against the state, Pennsylvania workers are going to let the legislation process play out.
Here are final steps before it lands on Gov. Josh Shapiro‘s desk:
- Pass it on the House floor
- Send to Senate to go through above steps
- Send to Senate floor
Frankel told PlayPennsylvania last June about Shapiro:
“Everything I know about Josh Shapiro, he will be supportive,” he said.
