The whole indoor smoking thing in brick-and-mortar casinos? Yeah, that conversation just never goes away. And, sure enough, the workers at Penn Entertainment — who are also part of CEASE (Casino Employees Against Smoking’s Effects) — are back at it.
Just last week, on June 11, they sent a letter to the company pushing for a “100% smoke-free indoor policy” at all of its casino venues.
The indoor smoking issue absolutely has to be on the table at the shareholder vote on June 17, according to Joe Hafley, a founder and leader of CEASE groups across Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa and also a security officer at the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway.
The CEASE letter read:
“Next week, your shareholders will vote on a resolution calling on Penn Entertainment to examine the business benefits of going smokefree. As casino workers who live this reality every day, we believe the evidence is already clear: protecting your workers and modernizing your casino environments is not just the right thing to do — it’s the smart thing to do. We urge you to act now and lead the industry in protecting health, respecting workers, and delivering on Penn Entertainment’s stated commitment to corporate responsibility.”
Casinos forced to face smoke-free votes
It turns out some big players like Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, and Wynn Resorts tried to shut down shareholder proposals about going smoke-free. But the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) stepped in and actually overruled them. Penn Entertainment, surprisingly, didn’t even try to prevent it from going to a vote.
So, what were these proposals about? The American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation (ANRF) and some healthcare partners, who own shares in these companies, are simply asking for reports on how much money these casinos could save by ditching indoor smoking.
Since the SEC’s decision, the votes have started rolling in. Back on April 30, 8.6% of Wynn shareholders voted in favor of a smoke-free study. Then on May 8, 11% of Boyd shareholders did the same. Wynn and Boyd just didn’t respond.
On the other hand, the Caesars Entertainment shareholder meeting did happen as planned on June 10, 2025, but the news isn’t what some were hoping for. The proposal to study the potential cost savings of a smoke-free policy wasn’t approved.
The crux of this stalling remains: Casino operators are spooked about gaming revenues, convinced that smoking and gambling are two sides of the same coin.
Mixed progress on land and a win at sea
You will think with the active activism of anti-smoking bodies like CEASE, ANRF, and the American Lung Association, casinos in this age and time will be tobacco-free, but that isn’t the case.
Recently, CEASE called out the New Jersey Assembly for omitting bill A2143, a smoking ban bill on casinos, from its May meeting.
While the fight continues in some places, it looks like Kansas and Missouri might actually be making some headway with their anti-smoking casino bills. The final outcome is still up in the air, the issue is on the legislative agenda for 2025.
Meanwhile, here’s a definite win for non-smokers: Royal Caribbean, in a partnership with Hard Rock International, is turning its entertainment venues on its newest ships into huge, smoke-free casinos.
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