Indoor smoking remains a top workplace health hazard in many commercial casinos. Thousands of employees in a single casino can be exposed to deadly secondhand smoke every day. A new article in Responsible Gaming Journal highlights another reason to address indoor smoking: problem gambling.
Longtime casino gaming insider and industry consultant Andrew Klebanow asks why smokefree indoor air is not already a bigger part of the responsible gaming conversation.
Smokefree indoor air policies support a basic principle of responsible gaming by creating a natural break from continuous play. In a smokefree casino, customers who want to smoke must step outside to a smoking patio for a brief break before returning to the game.
For casino operators, regulators, and responsible gaming leaders, the question is straightforward: Why isn’t smokefree air already part of the responsible gaming conversation?
“What the cigarette break does is provide a smoker with a pause from the excitement of the gaming floor. It gives the player a chance to think—or just a moment to relax and reflect on something else. In fact, that behavior adheres to a fundamental principle of responsible gaming and one advocated by the AGA. In a press release issued on June 25, 2025, which announced the launch of its “Play Smart From the Start Consumer Hub,” the AGA advised gamers to “set a budget, take breaks, and stay aware, win or lose.” That advice remains true to this day, and can be found in a variety of collateral material published by the AGA.”
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“The beauty of a non-smoking policy that requires customers to step outside in order to smoke is that it is the most benign form of responsible gaming. It does not require any employee training or intervention. It does not require the observation of a slot attendant to recognize that someone has been sitting at a game too long; it does not require that the attendant inform a host; it does not require the host to have a difficult conversation with the player; and it does not in any way offend the guest. It is the simple physical desire for a cigarette that induces the customer to step away from the game.”
