Smoke free casinos

Audience:

Advocates for smoke-free gaming facilities.

Key Points:

During 2011 six major attempts to weaken the Smoke Free Illinois Act by allowing casinos to smoke again were defeated in the Illinois legislature.  New research highlights reasons for Illinois casino revenue declines.  Tribally owned casinos are one of the last frontiers of second hand smoke (SHS) for employees and patrons, theories, approaches, components, and evaluation methods to work with these entities will be highlighted. Information presented will include a brief history of gaming in Illinois and why casino revenue decline since late 2007 is not related to the implementation of the Smoke Free Illinois Act in 2008. Strategies utilized to provide support to the casino-owning tribes such as education and technical assistance including observation, air quality testing and the importance of membership to California Nations Indian Gaming Association will be shared. Two trends are emerging to protect casino workers from SHS exposure. Casino workers are exploring legal options that seek remedies ranging from monetary damages to ventilation modifications, through individual lawsuits or class action attempts. Some states that did not offer gambling when their statewide smoke-free air laws passed, are now legalizing gambling but not exempting the new gaming venues, therein protecting employees and patrons from SHS.

Educational Experience:

Participants will be able to refute claims that smoke-free gaming results in revenue declines, learn strategies for working with tribal entities and the implications of legal actions.

Benefits:

Audience will be better equipped to effectively campaign for smoke-free gaming.