Iowa senators reject legislation to ban smoking in casinos
A Senate subcommittee rejected the bill on a 2–1 vote.
US.- An Iowa Senate subcommittee has voted against Senate File 2051, a bill that aimed to remove an exemption that allows smoking on casino gaming floors. The bill It received 2 votes against and 1 in favour.
Introduced by senator Dennis Guth of Klemme, the bill sought to update the Iowa Smokefree Air Act of 2008 to bring casino in line with other venues. The act prohibited smoking in most public spaces, including restaurants, bars, and workplaces, with a few exceptions. Casinos were allowed to continue permitting smoking indoors, as were outdoor patios in some establishments that do not serve food
The three-member panel heard testimony from casino operators, who argued that a ban would lead to a decline in revenue. Mary Earnhardt, CEO of the Iowa Gaming Association, pointed to revenue drops in other states and warned that gaming activity might move elsewhere.
Health advocates had argued that casino workers remain exposed to dangerous levels of secondhand smoke. They cited the positive impact of the 2008 law in reducing smoking rates, healthcare costs, and hospitalisations for smoking-related illnesses and said the overall health of Iowans has improved, with cancer rates and smoking-related health issues declining.
After the rejection of the bill, senator Guth said: “The role of government is to protect its citizens. We should never put economic development ahead of health.”
According to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, 21 US states currently prohibit smoking in gambling establishments.
New bill proposes new powers against illegal online gaming in Iowa
The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing had filed a bill that proposes to grant the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission authority to tackle unlicensed gambling sites.
If passed, the bill would give the commission authority to issue cease-and-desist orders to unregulated gambling operations. Tina Eick, the regulator’s administrator, has said that under current law, the commission does not have the “clear authority” to take action against anyone other than the casinos and sportsbooks that it licences.
