Las Vegas casinos are moving towards a smoke-free future due to investor pressure and changing public views. While most Las Vegas Strip resorts still allow smoking on their gaming floors, more and more people want casino operators to think again.
Park MGM’s Smoke Ban Stands Alone Amid Growing Calls for Industry-Wide Reform
Park MGM stands alone as the only major Las Vegas Strip property to ban indoor smoking, a rule they brought in back in 2020. Some visitors do not know about this rule, but others, like Amy Chamberlain from California, say it is why they pick where to stay, reported Las Vegas Weekly.
New findings point to more industry players having to tackle the smoking issue soon. A survey backed by the Nevada Tobacco Control and Smoke-Free Coalition revealed that over two-thirds of voters want smoke-free casinos. This led groups like the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation (ANRF) to submit proposals to several big gaming companies. These proposals ask shareholders to push for studies on the costs and benefits of no-smoking policies.
Most companies tried to keep these proposals off shareholder ballots, but the SEC stepped in and allowed the votes. So far, 8.6% of Wynn Resorts investors and 11% of Boyd Gaming shareholders have supported these proposals. Caesars Entertainment and Penn Entertainment will hold