MGM Grand Detroit, Hollywood At Greektown Bring Back Indoor Smoking Areas
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Two Detroit casinos have reintroduced designated indoor smoking areas.
Indoor smoking has been approved by MGM Grand Detroit and Hollywood Casino at Greektown.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Michigan Gaming Control Board has maintained the prohibition of smoking on casino floors.
Nevertheless, designated areas off the playing floor have been established by these two casinos.
On January 23rd, Gun Lake Casino made an announcement regarding the opening of a limited smoking gaming area on its casino floor.
Where are the smoking areas in the Detroit casinos?
In a news release, MGM Grand Detroit announced the reintroduction of indoor smoking on Wednesday.
Formerly known as Clear and Clear II, the casino now designates two sections as Smoking Slots East and Smoking Slots West.
If guests are searching for smoking areas, signage will guide them towards the designated spots.
According to the MGM Grand Detroit website, “We have designated these specific indoor areas as the only places where smoking will be allowed. Additionally, doors have been installed to reduce the effect on the entire casino floor.”
The MGM Grand Detroit will uphold its non-smoking policy for all indoor areas, while maintaining the outdoor smoking patio.
Earlier this year, Hollywood Casino at Greektown made the decision to permit smoking on its second floor. In contrast, MotorCity Casino maintains its indoor non-smoking policy throughout its premises.
Gun Lake Casino adds smoking gaming area
Gun Lake Casino made an announcement on January 23rd through a tweet, stating their plans to introduce a designated smoking area within their premises.
“We have received overwhelming feedback from our guests and Team Members, and as a result, we have decided to allow indoor smoking in a specifically designated gaming area,” the tweet stated. “This area is the previous non-smoking slot room adjacent to the high-limit room. However, it is important to note that all other indoor areas will continue to be smoke-free.”
The area appears to be an unenclosed section, seamlessly connected to the rest of the casino floor.
Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights upset with decision
There is some criticism surrounding the decision to reintroduce limited indoor smoking.
The decision prompted Cynthia Hallet, President and CEO of Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, to express her concerns for the well-being of casino employees in a statement.
According to Hallet’s statement, Detroit casino workers are being dealt a disappointing hand this week. Despite enjoying a safe working environment for over two years, these employees are now faced with a dilemma – prioritizing their health or their paycheck. Hallet firmly believes that this situation is not acceptable. Previous attempts to mitigate the effects of secondhand smoke, such as implementing separate smoking and non-smoking areas with additional doors, have repeatedly failed to adequately safeguard the well-being of both employees and guests.
Hallet maintains that this decision prioritizes the satisfaction of a minority group, neglecting the potential health hazards faced by the majority of casino visitors.
Despite the fact that only 12% of individuals in the United States smoke, certain casinos persist in placing higher importance on perceived profits from this declining group, rather than the well-being of their employees. However, times have changed. The majority of casino patrons now prefer an environment free of smoke, and research demonstrates that casinos without indoor smoking generate more revenue compared to their smoke-filled competitors. Furthermore, casino companies operating in Detroit also manage smokefree establishments in various cities throughout the country. Therefore, the workers in Detroit deserve the same level of safety as their counterparts elsewhere. We strongly urge MGM Detroit and Greektown to reverse their decision and encourage MotorCity to maintain its policy of maintaining clean indoor air.
Majority of Michigan casinos are smoke free
In December, the number of U.S. casinos and gaming properties that have implemented a complete indoor smoking ban exceeds 1,000. This figure incorporates 148 Indian gaming establishments that have voluntarily adopted smokefree policies.
Michigan casinos are included in that list.
- The Bay Mills Resort & Casino is a premier destination for entertainment and gaming.
- FireKeepers Casino Hotel
- Four Winds Casinos
- Island Resort & Casino
- Leelanau Sands Casino
- MotorCity Casino
- Northern Waters Casino Resort
- Odawa Casinos
- Saganing Eagles Landing Casino
- The name of the establishment is Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort.
- The establishment is known as Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel.
Casinos that do not allow indoor smoking have been reported by C3 Gaming, based in Las Vegas, to outperform their smoking-friendly counterparts.
According to the report, evidence from various jurisdictions shows that prohibiting smoking does not result in a significant decrease in gaming revenue anymore. Interestingly, establishments that have implemented non-smoking policies seem to be performing better than those that still permit smoking.
According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, ventilation systems are not effective in preventing the effects of secondhand smoke.
According to the ASHRAE, ventilation systems do not effectively combat secondhand smoke. They can only minimize odor and discomfort, but cannot completely eliminate exposure. The organization informed casino executives that currently available or foreseeable ventilation or air-cleaning systems are unable to sufficiently control or significantly decrease the health hazards of environmental tobacco smoke to an acceptable level.
As more information becomes available, we will keep updating this story which is currently in development.
