Smoking in Las Vegas Casinos is a topic that occasionally occurs in various Vegas-inspired FB groups and forums. Marketers know this. Marketing people looooooooove numbers. They can be manipulated to tell whatever story the marketer would like.

I resemble that remark and can easily spot it when others do it. The most recent topic I’ve noticed where the numbers aren’t an actual representation of opinions is about smoking in casinos.

I hate this topic. If you don’t like a casino because it’s too smoky, you can go somewhere else, which is what I do.

The headline says that the majority of Nevada residents would go to a smoke-free casino. Unlikely, but we’ll get to that in a second. This smelled as funny as a Mr. TravelZork cigar so I decided to look for more information.

It didn’t take much time to find out that the source of the information came from an anti-smoking association.

Nevada Smoking-Free Poll

The Nevada Tobacco Control & Smoke-free Coalition says “Nearly 60% of Nevadans support ending indoor smoking at Nevada casinos.” This is true according to their survey that tells the story you’d expect from an anti-smoking association. 

Here’s the conclusion the smoke-free advocacy group shared:

“The main takeaway from this research is that Nevada voters’ support for 100% smoke-free workplaces, including in casinos, is strong, consistent, and resilient. 

Even if opponents of such a law massively outspent proponents to sway public opinion, our research shows they would fail. Support among Nevada voters remains strong across demographic, geographic, and partisan lines, and legislators who support a potential law stand to gain from taking such a position.”

You can read the press release with highlights of the survey here.

How Do You Feel About Non-Smoking Casinos?

I’ll share my opinion but would love to hear your thoughts on this never-ending discussion about smoking in casinos.

I’m not a smoker and specifically don’t like to be around cigarette smoke – especially at local Las Vegas bars and casinos. These venues are often more smokey than many of their Vegas Strip counterparts. 

Park MGM is one of my favorite meeting places on the Vegas Strip, in part, because the entire property is smoke-free. The location and restaurants are another reason but the lack of smoke is important.

A few weeks ago I spent an entire day with a friend at The Linq and Harrah’s. Between the music, drinking, and the other people smoking at the two casinos I could barely speak on the way home. I lose my voice now and again in casinos but it’s been a loooooooong time since it was this bad.

When looking for a local bar, I attempt to visit those that aren’t busy or don’t allow smoking at all.

Having said that, being in smoky environments is a big part of my life since I’m in casinos and bars almost daily. 

Las Vegas locals are much more rude about how they position their cigarettes. They also don’t ash the cigarettes which makes the smell even worse. 

Tourists can’t often smoke indoors and tend to be respectful of the people around them. Some will ask if others nearby mind. Most will hold a cigarette to the side where others aren’t sitting if possible. 

This isn’t the case for everyone but tourists seem to be kinder about their smoke than Las Vegas locals. The poll pretty much says that Nevada residents hate themselves. 

While they might hate themselves, I’m not sure the research is an accurate representation. At the same time, there’s some validity to the survey.

If the masses feel like this is an important topic they should deal with it. I’ve become indifferent to the topic because I’ve learned to deal with it over my life.

I was at a local bar a few weeks ago and there was a guy playing nickel video poker, smoking a pipe, and drinking beer. It was a pretty epic vibe but the bartender was so bothered by the smoke that they had to open a door to get some fresh air. I just sat on the other side of the bar and was fine.

It seems as though cigar smokers are mostly respectful of people around them. On the rare occasion I fire up a stick it’s always in a cigar bar, outdoors, or somewhere with good ventilation.

Ironically, if I have a favorite type of smoke, it’s one that isn’t allowed in casinos. I don’t mind marijuana smoke. I also like the smell of skunk in the distance so there’s no accounting for my olfactory preferences.

I’m often in casinos where dealers have fans blowing smoke away. I’m only sharing a couple of examples of smoke in casinos and sympathetic to those who have to deal with it. I would also find a different line of work if I didn’t like the conditions.

That’s my two cents. How do you feel about smoking in Las Vegas casinos in bars? Do you visit or stay at Park MGM because it’s smoke-free? Do you play slots in the smoke-free room at Plaza? 

Drop a comment below or wherever you read this.