STATESIDE ASDF/Adobe Stock
Ever have an experience you remember throughout
your life? I clearly remember a late-1980s hearing regarding cigarette sales in a wealthy suburban community. It attracted significant media attention and the television cameras rolled throughout this session. More than 300 attended. Each township commissioner, except one, asked
realistic, cogent questions about how the industry would address local rules. Then, one smug commissioner, seeking higher state office, asked me, “Miss Harris, how do you sleep at night knowing what you are selling?” That is almost verbatim. The room went silent at her accusatory tone. Stunned, I took a deep breath and quietly answered, “I sleep just fine since we are responsibly selling a legal product. If I were you, I would worry more about the 18-year-old illegally selling cigarettes to his 16-year-old girlfriend at the convenience store. We have machines in liquor establishments and little Johnny isn’t riding his bicycle there to buy cigarettes.” Sound familiar? Substitute gaming or arcades and
there is history to that attitude too. One-sided posturing and blaming rarely succeeds. It is a delicate dance to somehow appeal to everyone. Casino operators should satisfy the majority. However, maybe both sides can make a responsible concession. Each market has a different character.
Smoking is not just a social and health issue across
America, but also a sports and business issue. Currently, 22 states and US territories ban casino smoking, but what about stadiums and arenas? When the 60-year-old Oakland Raiders football team
relocated from California to Las Vegas in 2020, it was a great tax move to a magnificent new stadium. Nevada’s Clean Indoor Air Act also made it easy to enforce a no-smoking rule. Do they intertwine? Maybe. Consider this…isn’t it a good idea to have professional sports teams in jurisdictions and venues that also permit sports betting? The 2018 legalization opened financial opportunities for casinos and tax revenue sources for state treasuries. Businesses and legislators care about two things: income and taxes. These two sides sometimes have different perspectives, but smart ones try to maximize income and negotiate fair taxes. Let’s hope they can do both. Baseball is the next professional sport in this push and pull. Currently, only the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals, both in Missouri, play in cities that permit indoor smoking in casinos. Out West, the Oakland Athletics (A’s) could also relocate to Las Vegas from its California stadium, which would be another great tax move. Do teams have the clout to persuade Nevada casinos, or
anywhere else, to ban smoking where customers may place their bets?
AUGUST 2021 9
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