Health Costs Trump Better Paytables

The lighter side... playing for entertainment, less concerned about "the math."
OTABILL
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Health Costs Trump Better Paytables

Post by OTABILL »

We have stopped playing VP at local casinos because of health issues which my wife and I have encountered in recent years. That is because of the lack of non-smoking casinos. Where there are non-smoking areas in some of these casinos, we have found VP game selection and paytables abysmal. As an example, here in metro Phoenix, the best VP paytables we encountered in the past were at Fort McDowell. They were in a very smoky part of the casino. Limited choices and paytables that weren’t that attractive were in the non-smoking area. We found the same situation several years ago at Red Rock in Vegas. As recreational players more interested in health than monetary gains, we will play in non-smoking casinos and sealed non-smoking rooms when available should we find them and decide to resume our casino VP. Our health is more important than a better paytable. In the long run the cost to play will be less. Unfortunately, we learned this the hard way. The article below spells out the health risks.

Secondhand smoke raises the stakes in America's casinos


case
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Post by case »

I often wonder about the staff working in smoking casinos and how their health is. I would have to guess lung cancer and other smoke related illness for workers in smoke filled casinos is above the norm.

In Canada all casinos are non smoking.

OTABILL
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Post by OTABILL »

I often wonder about the staff working in smoking casinos and how their health is. I would have to guess lung cancer and other smoke related illness for workers in smoke filled casinos is above the norm.

In Canada all casinos are non smoking.


Most health studies find that casino workers in smoking casinos are more likely to develop smoking-related illnesses. However, as the article in my original post points out, the risk to those of us who gamble in smoking casinos is elevated as well.

Kudos to Canada for having all casinos non-smoking.

Getting back to casino workers, the following article spells out some of the risks:

The Risks of Secondhand Smoke in Casinos

pokerpokerpoker
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Post by pokerpokerpoker »

In my area, Indiana, casinos allow smoking. In Illinois, they don't. I've talked to many players from Illinois who make the trip to Indiana so they can smoke while gambling. Seems casino patrons smoke at a higher rate then non-gamblers and because Indiana allows it, our casinos bring in more patrons.

Some of our casinos do have a non-smoking floor with good games.

FloridaPhil
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Post by FloridaPhil »

All casinos in Colorado are also non smoking.


olds442jetaway
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Post by olds442jetaway »

several Mohegan Sun employees I have talked to say they have found out and I don't know the source, but long term employment in a smokey casino cuts life expectancy by ten years. I wouldn't doubt it. Many are out with severe respiratory issues or have to quit altogether. Unfortunately, many of them are smokers themselves and so sad to see so many young people still chain smoking. I am probably at great risk as well and now try and get out in the air as much as possible or play in non smoking areas. Unfortunately, most of the best games are in smoking areas. Banning cigar smoke would help a bit. I have seen entire playing areas vacated due to one fat old bald guy with a horrible cheap cigar puffing away and could care less about anybody else. As soon as I get home from the casino, I try and get down to the shore for a walk and to take in the sea breeze. Its down the end of my street. It may not help much, but makes me feel a lot better. I can't wait to get out of the clothes either. I hate to even put them in the hamper with the other dirty things.

DaBurglar
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Post by DaBurglar »

OLDS, I totally agree about the impact of these awful, cheap cigars....now those things really need to be banned or else extremely limited to one corner of the casino.Folks, smoking is STILL the number one source and cause of preventable death and disease in the country and still kills far more people than any of the other societal evils you may read or hear about (booze, guns, auto wrecks and the latest fashionable bane of mankind, opiates.)   For the life of me, given the nation's healthcare costs and the twisted debate on who deserves health care coverage and how much/how long, why do you think cigs are still legal and sold like any other product?   <rhetorical question>Answer:  Aside from the STILL potent power of the Big tobacco lobby (a bipartisan force in the past but these days is staunchly republican) , the fact is most state and LOCAL governments are addicted to the TAX money generated by the drug addicts (nicotine) who fuel cigarette sales.

OTABILL
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Post by OTABILL »

OLDS, I totally agree about the impact of these awful, cheap cigars....now those things really need to be banned or else extremely limited to one corner of the casino.Folks, smoking is STILL the number one source and cause of preventable death and disease in the country and still kills far more people than any of the other societal evils you may read or hear about (booze, guns, auto wrecks and the latest fashionable bane of mankind, opiates.)   For the life of me, given the nation's healthcare costs and the twisted debate on who deserves health care coverage and how much/how long, why do you think cigs are still legal and sold like any other product?   <rhetorical question>Answer:  Aside from the STILL potent power of the Big tobacco lobby (a bipartisan force in the past but these days is staunchly republican) , the fact is most state and LOCAL governments are addicted to the TAX money generated by the drug addicts (nicotine) who fuel cigarette sales.

Getting back to the topic, DB, given your knowledge about the health hazards of smoke, when you are in AC do you play the VP machines with the best paytables regardless of location or do you sacrifice EV to play in a non-smoking area?

FloridaPhil
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Post by FloridaPhil »

















I agree with Olds.  From my observation the better games are often in the smoking section.  Currently the non smoking section in Tampa has been removed while they build a new hotel, so I have no choice.  The Hard Rocks are owned by the Seminole Tribe.  The tribe makes money selling discount tobacco and they have a cigar store in their casinos.  In Florida the only place you can legally smoke in public is in a casino, so it brings out everyone who smokes.   I have to admit they have improved the ventilation, but my clothes still reek from smoke when I get home.  I suppose the only way this could ever be resolved is if some lawyer filed a class action suit against the tribes on behalf of an injured non smoker.  Good luck with that...Adding a dollar tax to the price of cigarettes didn't seem to slow anyone down.  I think it should be $5 a pack, but even then some people wouldn't care.  My mother was a smoker all her life.  When she was in her sixties the doctors told me she had terminal emphysema. I had to tell her she was dying.  This was a very hard thing to do.  I told her she could extend her life if she quit smoking.  She told me she loved smoking more than living.  At the end when they came to take her in the ambulance, her lungs were so clogged she died gasping for air.  What a shame.   I will sit in the smoking section if it means playing better games.  I will not stay if a cigar smoker is in the area.   Cigar smoke makes me sick and I don't want to puke in the casino.   There was a time when I would confront these guys until I almost got into a fist fight with a guy my age,   That would have been one funny sight to see. 
















asteroid
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Post by asteroid »


Cigar smoking is a highly effective AP vp player technique. The AP will drive other players away from the full pay machines with a nice big stogie so that they can play two machines at once or have flexibility in game and/or denomination.   I will not stay if a cigar smoker is in the area.   Cigar smoke makes me sick and I don't want to puke in the casino.  

















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