Holy Smoke! Connecticut Casino Gambling With No Smoking

Members of the Connecticut state government Administration and Elections Committee approved a ban of casino smoking in Connecticut casinos that should set off a heated legal battle. Connecticut is now on track to become another state where smokers will have to take their health threatening habits out of casinos.

Other states have already banned smoking in public places. Some of the states have carved exceptions for casinos, while other have not. Connecticut lawmakers believe that the health of employees is more important than the threat of disgruntled smokers.

"This, indeed, does buy us a substantial fight in the courts," said Representative John W. Hetherington, "This is going to be a very long and costly fight for Connecticut.

Part of the legal battle will come from the casinos themselves, who are owned by Indian tribes. The tribes intend on using the smoking ban as a way out of paying the state millions of dollars agreed upon when they signed a gambling compact.

The owners of Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods believe that the smoking ban is a violation of that compact, and are prepared to battle for what they believe in court. They claim that they were open to a compromise involving smoking, but did not want to be forced to do so.

The state will rely on the part of the compacts where the tribes agree to "adopt Connecticut's public health standards," according to Attorney general Richard Blumenthal. Other lawmakers point to an obligation of state government to protect employees.

"These people are our constituents," said Senator Gayle Slossberg, "No money can pay to bring someone back who has lost their life to lung cancer."

April 22, 2009
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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