Editorial: Smoking at tribal casinos in Montana

Tuesday, October 20, 2009  

"It's a niche market created by the last segment of Montana's Clean Indoor Air Act originally put in place four years ago. Across the state smoking is now prohibited in all indoor public places, including bars and casinos that had, up until Oct. 1, an exemption if they did not allow anyone younger than 18 to enter their establishments.

So it's not surprising that some businesses on the state's Indian Reservations, which are not subject to the Montana Clean Indoor Air Act, are now marketing to people who like to have a cigarette with their cup of coffee, meal or adult beverage or while gambling — indoors.

That's how the free market works. Entre- preneurs fill unmet demands. Reservation-based businesses are capitalizing on their advantage — customers can smoke inside at their places, while everywhere else in the state those customers have to step outside.

But unlike other advantages reservation-based casinos have capitalized on — namely technology boosted bingo games that offer slot-machine like experiences with possible payouts far in excess of Montana's $800 limit on video gaming machines — allowing patrons to continue to smoke inside stinks."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Reservation casino smoking policy comes at a cost (The Great Falls Tribune 10/20)

Earlier Story:
Montana tribes weigh smoking policy at casinos (10/19)