As I suspected, the casino industry is full of sh-t

Their claim that a smoking ban will hurt their profits is totally hogwash.

http://www.gamingtoday.com/today/story.bv?storyid=18579 (Archive copy)

I was in AC twice since the smoking ban. All the casinos I visited had the usual crowds with one exception - Borgata. It seemed quieter than usual (with more tables closed, too, to keep them crowded.) The young meat market crowd seemed to be absent.

When did you go? When I was there last week, on a weekday it seemed like it was a pretty typical day. I dunno, I guess we'll find out for sure if they ever decide to release their revenue numbers.

I was there Tues evening.

In my visits since the partial smoking ban I did not see any loss of crowd. But being I am only focusing on BJ and derivative games, I probably wouldn't notice what was going on in the rest of the casino.

My first visit after the partial ban, the casinos were pleasant and reasonably smoke free. But on subsequent visits they were either not enforcing the ban or weaseling around it in such a way as to make it worthless, and the tables were indistinguishable from a smoking casino. I was getting the feeling it was intentional too, almost like they situated the non-smoking among the smoking to drive the non-smokers away.

I was discussing this with a PC on one trip, he was repeating the management line that the smoking ban was hurting business. I told him- oh is that so? Maybe the loss of business also has something to do with the fact that your games suck, your service sucks, and your casinos suck?

For the last week 1/2, it's been a total smoking ban in the casino. The partial smoking ban was a joke. I remember asking a police officer, whose job is it to enforce the law. He told me it's the casino's responsibility. I then asked a guy in the casino at the security desk. He said it's the state police's responsibility. That among other reasons is why a partial ban won't work. It's gotta be one or the other.

Many people have noticed that since Ontario casinos banned smoring, there's a lot more folk in NY casinos smoking Canadian cigs and saying "Hit me, eh"

I suppose in AC where people can't drive 15 minutes to a smoking place, patrons will stick it out.

As soon as you start winning a significant sum, I'm sure they will enforce the non-smoking ban on you (not that you were smoking, but if you were....):grin:

What they don't want is people to have to break the rhythm of the slot machine to go out and smoke. Both cigarettes and slots are addictive but the nicotine will probably win in the long run. The same number of people will come to the casino, they'll just lose less. The same reason for serving alcohol at the games, and advanced alcoholics can play a machine embedded in a bar. The logical progression would be to make accommodations for sexual compulsives who are also gambling addicts, maybe a screened off area where they can abuse themselves and each other and still keep up their theoretical loss per hour.

You had your suscpicions about the industry, huh?
What was your first hint? zg

I wouldn't even know where to begin :laugh:

It probably works both ways as American non-smokers now cross the border to play in a smoke free environment.

ac profits down

As reported in the headlines of the gaming news ac profits are down in the last 12 days. The mayor has a postponement to sign to lift the ban til next year. Facts are facts it doesn't matter how a person feels about smoking. It happend in Canada and the same will hit AC like it or not. People who gamble smoke and drink while they play. The people who do will go to the casinos that allow that freedom to do so. Indian casinos are down in profit but not as much as yankee casinos that have smoking bans. blackchipjim

The smartest thing for AC to do would be to have some properties all smoking and others all non-smoking. The whole building, rooms & all.

That way, non-smokers won't have to deal with the smoke and the worthless non-smoking areas, and smokers won't have to deal with keeping out of the non-smoking areas. And each property could tailor their marketing for a smoking or non-smoking crowd. e.g., the smoking casinos would have more Asian games and entertainment, and the non-smoking ones would cater to a younger and more US-born crowd.

It would be win-win, but casinos would never even try it to see what happens. Casinos do not like gambling.

But profits everywhere are down. Are they saying that AC is down further than other comparable areas?

The ban

Yes the effect of smoking ban was quick. The reported 10% drop to already depressed market. I don't really believe the accuracy of the report considering it coinsided with the market free fall in the past two weeks. I do know the Canada casinos never recovered from the ban. I went there on a visit recently Canada that is, and the place really went down at least in Niagra falls. The only thing the casinos really need is good ventilation and don't understand why they can't mimic Vegas style air exchange. blackchipjim

AC dead this week

I was in AC this week. It was the deadest I've seen it. Very few tables were open and limits were lower than usual. I saw a $25 tables in a high roller pit, which is something I've never seen in AC before.

was it 6d in HL? Pen? Which store if you wouldnt mind saying.

BJC

6D, S17, 1-1.5 decks cut off, dealer dependent. I'd rather not be specific on location, but it was on the Boardwalk.

Sounds like I need to make a trip south for a change of scenery. Thanks for the info.
BJC