The Smoking Ban Boogey Man is rearing his head

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Gambling revenue going could go down? Good;

DEADWOOD — Gov. Mike Rounds has refused to say whether he’ll sign the statewide smoking ban now on his desk, but he’s made it clear he has a lot to consider: Business owners’ rights. Public health concerns. The potential effect on Deadwood casinos and statewide video lottery, which funneled a combined $117 million into the state’s coffers last year.

A state economist told senators earlier this month that video lottery revenue could drop 15 to 25 percent if smoking is banned, and other states point to the possibility of casinos posting similar losses.

And I’m still trying to fathom how this is a bad thing? Gambling is a social ill that costs taxpayer’s more in crime and other financial problems than what we make from it. It also is a horrible way to fund government. I see this as a positive.

“A lot of people are saying, ‘We don’t go to Deadwood because of the smoking situation,’” he said. “If you take that away, you’ll now gain a patron.”

And this casino owner is correct. You may actually gain MORE business because of the ban. People who are against the ban use the same old tired arguments. Enough already. Too bad there isn’t a ban on bullshit in Pierre.

Robin Hood: Men in Tights full
Posted in: Smoking Ban

6 Thoughts on “The Smoking Ban Boogey Man is rearing his head”

  1. Ghost of Dude on March 17, 2009 at 6:44 am said:

    The only things that should be weighed here are businsess owners’ rights and public health. Revenue from gambling and tobacco taxes shouldn’t enter into this.

  2. l3wis on March 17, 2009 at 6:51 am said:

    Oh, but it will. It’s like I said on DWC yesterday, I’m sure Rounds is pushing his lawyers to find a technicality that he can use to veto it.

  3. l3wis on March 17, 2009 at 6:51 am said:

    and to add to that, like he did with the death penalty thing a few years back.

  4. Bob on March 17, 2009 at 9:49 am said:

    Illinois is a good place to “study”. As can be clearly seen by those of us living near the state line over the last year, Illinois smokers have been giving the casinos, bars, and restaurants in surrounding states their full support and blessing with their feet and their money. Had the antis done the same as Illinois smokers have done by supporting the non smoking Illinois casinos, restaurants, and bars instead of ranting and raving, people might pay attention to them. As it stands, claims about bans not hurting businesses are falling on a lot of deaf ears. They need to put their money where their mouth is.

  5. l3wis on March 17, 2009 at 11:08 am said:

    Well, not sure where they are gonna go, Minnesota and Iowa both have bans also. Anything that limits gambling and smoking sounds good to me, I really don’t care about the lost revenue.

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