 A second proposal to scale back Illinois' statewide smoking ban
cleared its first Statehouse hurdle on Monday. The legislation from
state Rep. Andre Thapdei, D-Chicago, would allow Illinois' nine
casinos to build designated smoking rooms, complete with ventilation
systems, for gamblers who want to light up while they play.
Thapedi said that after two years it is clear that gamblers who used
to lay down bets in Illinois are crossing the border to gamble and
smoke.
"The Federal Reserve bank's researchers (have) opined that
Illinois loses approximately $200 million in revenue by barring
smokers from smoking in Illinois casinos," he said.
Other studies put the dollar loss closer to $500 million since
the smoking ban took effect two years ago.
State Rep. Dan Beiser, D-Alton, said the Argosy riverboat in
Alton has lost a good deal of money to casinos just across the river
in Missouri since Illinois went smoke-free.
"The Alton facility has lost 30 percent to 40 percent of its
revenue in the past couple years," he said. "How much of that is
from the smoking ban? I'd say the vast majority."
Beiser said Illinois' casinos are at a clear competitive
disadvantage because of the smoking ban.
State Rep. Pat Verschoore, D-Milan, said casinos across the state
have lost about 10 percent of their revenue to the smoking ban,
though he said that might not be the case for all riverboats.
"I've been by the new Casino Rock Island and the parking lot is
full on the weekend. And I've spoken with people who are gambling
and they say they love it because (the casino) is nonsmoking. But
maybe I was just talking with nonsmokers," he said.
Verschoore had his own legislation to carve out an exemption for
all casinos when the smoking ban passed back in 2008. He said he'll
likely vote for this latest smoking exemption.
But other lawmakers say if casinos get special treatment, then
bars, restaurants and social clubs will be next.
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State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, was the only lawmaker to
vote against the smoking zone legislation.
"The (people in my district) who own a restaurant, a bar, or the
VFW, or whatever are going to be treated differently and asked to
abide by a law, whereas we're going to create and carve out another
exemption for the gaming industry," said Brady.
But the state's fiscal woes may be too great and the promise of
easy money may be too tempting for lawmakers to pass up.
Anti-smoking forces, however, say it's a poor argument that
Illinois' needs outweigh the health and safety of thousands of
casino workers and other gamblers.
Kathy Drea with the American Lung Association of Illinois said
the state is essentially banking on death.
"There are so many other things that we can do," she said. "We
can raise the cigarette tax ... that would bring in at least $300
million and another $300 million in a federal match. So there's $600
million right there. There are so many things we can do to find
revenue rather than be a proponent of something that makes people
sick and kills them."
But Thapedi said that if lawmakers approve the smoking zone
exemption for casinos, all workers would have to volunteer to work
there. He said no one would be forced to go anywhere they do not
know is risky.
"It's no different than a coal miner going into a coal (mine) or
an asbestos remover removing asbestos," he said.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By BENJAMIN YOUNT]
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