Can Massachusetts Become A Leader In Smoke-Free Gambling?
Casinos across the country have fought tooth and nail against smoking bans.
After all, if you can’t smoke in a casino, then where can you light up these days?
But a new report by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth suggests the Bay State, should it finally legalize expanded gambling, might actually gain business by putting tough restrictions on smoking.
The survey by the Center for Policy Analysis suggests that 54 percent of Connecticut residents would be more likely to visit a smokeless casino as well as 51 percent in Rhode Islanders. Massachusetts was right up there at 48 percent.
Clyde Barrow, the center’s director and an UMass Dartmouth professor, contends that if Massachusetts were to legalize smoke-free casinos, they might actually become a draw for nonsmokers throughout New England.