St. Louis Fed: No Ifs, Ands or Butts, Smoking Ban Hurt Revenues
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Tom Garrett, a St. Louis Fed economist, says there’s no doubt that Illinois casinos lost revenue after the state implemented a smoking ban in 2008.
Kansas casinos are exempted from the smoking ban because casino proponents don’t want to experience revenue losses. Ban proponents say privately operated bars will not lose revenue due to the ban. Garrett says studies that show a positive impact of smoking bans on bar and restaurant revenue are not rigorous and their results are not convincing. The availability of specific data on casinos allowed a more detailed evaluation of the ban’s impact.
Why should people care? Casinos are promoted as a way to supplement state revenues but a $200 million loss in Illinois revenues isn’t a supplement. As revenues go down, Garrett warns, some casino employees will lose their jobs.
Garrett’s article is available in the July 2009 issue of the Regional Economist here.
Casino Revenue Growth
SOURCE: State gaming boards of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Missouri.
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Posted under Column B, Economy, Video.
Tags: Employment, Illinois, Kansas, Revenues, Secondhand Smoke, Smoking ban, St. Louis Fed, Tobacco, Tom Garrett
3 Comments For This Post So Far
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Three Years After Smoking Ban, Ohioans Favor Exempting Bars
[...] state-owned casinos and a few other businesses from the ban but most bars have had to comply. A recent report by the St. Louis Fed said the smoking ban in Illinois definitely hurt casino revenues [...]
11:27 am on July 23rd, 2010
Well why don’t the casino’s carry those Crown7 electric cigarettes just like alot of other casinos Ive been to do…These things only emit water vapor and their is no odor…I think this has saved many casino’s in my area.
3:19 am on July 26th, 2010
As if only smokers go to casinos and bars…..