Some years ago when the whole smoking issue first hit places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City many casinos were already seeing a decline in gaming revenues and were fearful that a ban on smoking would significantly reduce revenues further. Studies at that time also showed that this fear was justified, as revenues declined in jurisdictions that enforced a ban. It is not surprising therefore, that casinos reacted and lobbied vigorously against smoking bans.
Since gaming typically attracts individuals with more vices than virtues, the argument that the obnoxious cigar smoking high-roller will magically be replaced by a bunch of smoke free gamblers is unlikely. To fuel this argument further, with smoking bans enforced in many public places, the non smoking lobby, empowered by its success, goes to TripAdvisor and other social media platform with outrageous exaggerations about the volume of smoke in casinos.
In England, for example, where they have a smoking ban, there are casinos in London that have extended or reconstructed their premises to provide smoking tables in an open air covered patio.
It is true, that many years ago, when I would finish a day at the Alhambra Casino or the Royal Cabana Casino where I worked at director of marketing, my clothes and hair would smell like an ashtray. But today, all casinos installed expensive ventilation systems and it is NO LONGER TRUE that the clouds of smoke are so thick that you can’t see the players at the next table!!!
One of my friends, a casino manager says: “As a nonsmoker I am fully aware of the effects of second-hand smoke, so I’m not excited about seeing smokers in a casino; but my experience now suggests that there are far fewer smokers around in recent years. The challenge is that, also in recent years, there are very few casinos in Aruba that are making any money so I am not surprised to still resistance to change. I made an independent study last year that showed that only 5% to 6% of all persons in the casino were either smoking or showed evidence of having smoked, sitting next to a used ashtray, for example.”
In the new legislation, the restaurants are being given no time to adjust whilst the casinos are getting 2 years. In most casinos there is signage tucked in the drawers of pit stands that state: “This is a non smoking table”. When players, by consensus, request their table to be non smoking then the casinos typically oblige. Perhaps the casinos could use this two year grace period to create signage that reflects the new norm and reads: “This is a smoking table”, and offer it only when consensus dictates.
More than anything, casinos are wary of the UNEVEN playing field, and shortcuts taken by competitors, because the most critical part of the legislation, enforcement, is not being enforced.
There has been talk for many years and general support for a Gaming Board where a small group of diligent gaming professionals would have wider powers, replacing the “Friends and Family” of elected politicians, whose job it is to police the entrance of the casinos.
Aruba came close some years ago when the government selected four competent individuals. Alas, that was short lived, because soon after the elections the Gaming Board was disbanded; but not before they sat frustrated at home for a year on full pay!
Clearly the Gaming Board would need to include persons with no political affiliation and the strength of character to challenge observed irregularities.
ABOUT THE EXCELSIOR VERDICT, A READER SAYS: I did not hear all the details of the five year sentencing, but as with most sentences in Aruba they rarely provide adequate deterrent from crime. I would be interested to know if the money was recovered! It reminds me of an incident many years ago when we had a couple of guys changing false traveler’s checks at the casino. The cage supervisor was alerted by another casino soon after the transaction and a couple of employees dashed into the parking lot and followed the thieves as they drove off. The consensus at the time was that the police would not bother with a $2,000 theft at 2am unless you handed them a guaranteed catch. Our intrepid pursuers tracked the thieves down to a hotel in town and the police arrived and arrested the two guys and retrieved the cash that they had stolen from us and other casinos. The $2,000 remained as evidence and to this day, sadly, there is no evidence of its existence!!!!
Thank you to all who have contributed to the article.
