Impact of the smoking ban

Belleville News-Democrat

March 25, 2008

The Casino Queen's business is down, and it blames Illinois' smoking ban.

Initially, the $92 million new casino, which opened last summer on the East St. Louis riverfront, saw revenues increase from the smaller boat, but business has declined since Jan. 1 when the state's ban on smoking in public places took effect.

'It's been devastating,' said casino manager Tom Monaghan, who has seen fewer gamblers on the new 'boat in a moat' and fears more are going to new nearby competing casinos across the river in Missouri, where gamblers still can smoke.

'It was like flipping a switch, with the new smoking bill,' he said.

According to Monaghan, revenue jumped 25 percent --to $18 million --after the new casino opened in July and stabilized at $17 million during the following months. In January, when the new law went into effect, the casino's revenues fell to $13 million a month. He said February's revenues bottomed out at $14 million, and March is projected to be the same.

Similar figures for the Alton Belle Casino were not available.

The Smoke Free Illinois Act, which was signed into law by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, bans smoking in all public buildings in the state of Illinois, including restaurants and taverns or where ever food and beverages are served, with few exceptions. Smokers are forced to go outside to smoke and must remain 15 feet from a door of places where smoking is prohibited.

The new law has raised an objection from at least one of the area's top law enforcement officials when St. Clair County State's Attorney Robert Haida told local police last month that he would not prosecute violators of the smoking ban because, in his opinion, the law is flawed.

'There are inadequate due process provisions that wouldn't allow the cases to properly be adjudicated in court,' Haida said Monday. 'If we took it to court ... in our view, there would be no constitutionality or safeguards required in the criminal statute.'

While Haida does not condone breaking the law, he and others, such as Collinsville Assistant Police Chief Terry Bell, are not exactly going out of their way to make sure all are abiding by it.

'We're not actively trying to enforce this law,' Bell said. 'We're not going out proactively to enforce the smoking law. If we have any specified calls or complaints, we'll come out and address them as they arise.'

He added: 'It really has not been an issue,' he said. 'It's been a nonissue all the way round, so far.'

A random survey of business people around the metro-east found some complaining about a decline in business, while others say they have not noticed a change since the law took effect.

The Illinois Department of Revenue won't release sales figures for the first quarter until sometime next month, said agency spokeswoman Katie Ridgeway. It is not certain whether those figures will show a decline in business for bars and restaurants.

Illinois Department of Public Health has fielded complaints from the public since the new year began about the smoking ban and plans to investigate the economic impact of the legislation, said department spokeswoman Melanie Arnold.

Monaghan said the Casino Queen invested $3 million to install a ventilation system to help get rid of cigarette smoke from the new casino. He said the casino ended up spending another $700,000 for two three-walled, heated, smoking shelters, located on the northeast and southeast corners of the casino, to cater to smoking guests.

'When something like this happens, you have to make a decision,' Monaghan said, 'because the state made one for us.'

When asked how the smoking ban has affected his business, Mike Lord at Hot Shots sports bar in O'Fallon said, 'Terribly.'

As bar manager, Lord said he anticipated a 25 percent drop in business because of the law.

'We've had about a 30 to 40 percent drop-off,' he said. 'It really hurts.'

But Eric Kent said that less smoke seems to be what his customers wanted. The co-owner of Friday's South bar and grill in Belleville and Collinsville said more people are coming to his establishments, mainly to eat and enjoy a smoke-free atmosphere.

'Knock on wood, our business is just as good, if not better,' Kent said.

John Wilson disagrees with the new rule. The Caseyville resident was at Friday's South on 106 E. Main St. in Collinsville on Monday afternoon and said he smokes 'off and on.'

'I think it should be the owner's choice,' Wilson said regarding whether to allow smoking in public places.

Bob Lee, also of Caseyville, quit smoking four years ago, but also disagrees with the smoking ban.

'I don't think they should tell everybody what they can and can't do,' Lee said.

As the two ate

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