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Harrah's New Orleans goes SMOKE FREE

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Casino Hotels' started by jeni921, Apr 24, 2015.

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  1. jeni921

    jeni921 Tourist

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    All bars, hotels and casinos in New Orleans have gone smoke free as of two days ago. (Not sure if there are other casinos in New Orleans other than Harrah's.) Harrah's filed for an exemption to the smoke free ordinance but was unsuccessful in obtaining it. Do you think we will see this trend continue across the US?
     
  2. NewOrleansSlimm

    NewOrleansSlimm VIP Whale

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    harrahs is the only land based casino in louisiana and the only other casinos near by are located a few miles away as small riverboats "treasure chest in kenner operated by boyd gaming" and "boomtown in harvey forgot who owns that" they have slots at the horsetrack in New orleans but other than those the closest casinos are in lake charles,La or mississippi gulf coast

    harrahs and several businesses are suing the city currently but still following the B/S law and i dont even smoke,,,october they opened signature bar, a $500k cigar bar that you now cannot smoke at...

    i was there last night and will be there tonight and tomorrow. i did take these pics...they have big signs letting people know about being smoke free, signs by the bathrooms ect and they setup a "Smoking lounge" as they call it in valet

    PS, the hotel has been smoke free for a long time and all restaurants inside the casino as well....and before this ban, they had smoking and non-smoking sections which harrahs wanted to make larger to be exempt from the ban

    this is the hallway door to the bathroom for palm room

    [​IMG]


    from masquerade looking at valet, signs up top pointing to smoking lounge

    [​IMG]

    the smoking lounge right past the valet ticket window...some benches and ashtrays

    [​IMG]


    can take more pics if anyone needs anything
     
  3. LolaDoggie

    LolaDoggie VIP Whale

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    That's how it's been in Ontario, Canada for many years now. Everybody seems to like it, even some of the smokers.
     
  4. NewOrleansSlimm

    NewOrleansSlimm VIP Whale

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    what a lot of people dont know about harrahs is there is a 2nd floor, just as big as the first...many years ago when it filed for bankruptcy, they never opened it...it would be perfect for 1 floor smoking the other non
     
  5. NewOrleansSlimm

    NewOrleansSlimm VIP Whale

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    tonight, with the exception of someone smoking weed in the masquerade,,,a quick light up, hit it and put it out...no smoking was seen or smelled on the floor...the bathrooms however looked like snoop dogg was in there...
     
  6. Dr Nostron

    Dr Nostron VIP Whale

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    I go to NO 3 or 4 times a year - this is awesome news!!
     
  7. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

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    I think more places will continue to ban smoking. As a smoker I was upset about it a little at first (when my local casinos went smoke free) but not anymore.

    The big thing to me is that they provide sufficient smoking areas that can provide some left of comfort, IE: in Las Vegas a huge casino would need multiple smoking areas that are quick and easy accessible to customers and have some level of air conditioning so that when its over 100 degrees they aren't just standing out front of the property in the sun.
     
  8. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    The State of WI banned all smoking in public places a few years ago. The Tavern Lobby is very strong here and there was a huge outcry of how this would kill bars and restaurants. It didn't! The smokers just go outside. Funny as hell to see them outside during our WI winters, sometimes when the temperature is well below 0 F. As mentioned, it is a strong addiction. Thankfully, I kicked the habit more than 20 years ago, but I did smoke for 25 years.

    btw, the State can't pass laws concerning Indian casinos, so of course smoking is permitted at all 22 locations here in WI.

    In 1991 Silver City, which was a small casino-only place located directly across the street from the Stardust went smoke free. It was wonderful, but short lived. I forget how long it stayed that way, maybe a year or two, but they had to go back to smoking. I don't remember if they went out of business because non-smoking ruined their business or could be the property it sat on was sold? We loved that place and the Mexican restaurant that was on the 2nd floor. You had to access it by going outside and up.
     
  9. Jordan

    Jordan Caveman

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    Seems like FOREVER ago you could smoke in ANY public place in Nova Scotia, actually a town in the Annapolis Valley has a bylaw that makes it illegal to smoke in your own vehicle if you have a child on board~
     
  10. Jordan

    Jordan Caveman

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    Nova Scotia announced a 100% province wide smoking ban December 1, 2006.

    Smoke-Free Vehicles in Nova Scotia

    The Nova Scotia legislature unanimously approved a law prohibiting smoking in any vehicle carrying children under 19. The law came into force on April 1, 2008.

    Nova Scotia has set the precedent by becoming the first province to adopt such a law. This paves the way for other provinces to do likewise.
     
  11. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    Joe - you make my point for me when you cite Silver City. Nobody forced them to go 'non-smoking'. They did it on their own.
    The market spoke & they went under.
    I suspect that today, they would not go under. There are plenty of non-smokers now - including me - that would patronize a non-smoking casino.

    But if the demand was there, they would all be non-smoking already...or least some of them would be... and they're not... at least not yet.

    In the Bedford/Hurst/Euless area of Texas, there are still a few bars where smoking is permitted. They do a good business... as do most of the other bars that are now non-smoking (with outdoor patios for the smokers).
    Point is, they get to choose...they do - NOT "the state".

    If we want to ban smoking, then make the stuff illegal, for crying out loud.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 30, 2015
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  12. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    I don't smoke myself, never have regularly, but I try not to be a b*tch about it.

    Casinos will probably be the last holdout for smoking in public. The only recent time I remember smoke getting to me in a casino was in the VP area by Penny Town at Sams Town.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 30, 2015
  13. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    Silver City was a nominal casino in a bad location and it is doubtful the smoking ban did much either way. Hell, full-on casino-resorts aren't sustaining up that way, smoking and all. So that argument is a little specious. A mainline casino does this and the place likely would rock. The nicotine-addicted would flee, but there are a lot of smoke-while-gambling smokers out there and my sense is gamblers with a casino loyalty are more casino-loyal than cancer-stick loyal. Hell, maybe gambling superstition is a stronger attractant even for some smokers.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 1, 2015
  14. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    Ken, in the 90s Silver City was not a bad location. Westward Ho, Circus, Stardust, Riv, Frontier and Slots of Fun. All doing great business with plenty of foot traffic. Hell, you could cross LV Blvd in the middle of the street and easily casino hop.
     
  15. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    I remember the joint from the later 90s.
     
  16. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    Please remember that in these threads we need to avoid two topics:

    1 - Political statements, and yes "big brother watching out for us" is political.
    2 - The smoker vs non-smoker debate. Let's just not go there for a change.

    Thanks! (grabs edit pen and thwacking stick)
     
  17. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    re: your photo #1 - It says "no smoking or vaping". What's the rationale for no vaping as there's no 2nd hand smoke or smell. That's a new one for me.
     
  18. LVHooked

    LVHooked High-Roller

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    When the casino by me opened in 2007 (Presque Isle Downs) only a small part was smoking, maybe 25% But there were provisions in the gaming law, where they tracked machine usage. (smoking/nonsmoking) Its now about 75% smoking. There’s a nonsmoking room and part of the floor, the room is generally dead. Unless the place is real busy.
     
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