Summary
- PENN Entertainment casino employees have sent a letter to the company's executives ahead of the shareholder vote scheduled for Tuesday.
- Employees are advocating for the elimination of indoor smoking exemptions at the company's casino properties due to the daily health risks they encounter.
- The workers contend that smoking is unnecessary for the success of casino properties, and permitting it indoors might actually be detrimental.
The upcoming shareholder vote on Tuesday, June 17, holds significant importance, as shareholders will decide on various issues, including the approval of all three director candidates nominated by HG Vora: William Clifford, Johnny Hartnett, and Carlos Ruisanchez.
Smoking has to go, PENN workers tell bosses ahead of shareholder vote
As the crucial vote looms, a new issue has emerged, with workers urging shareholders and executives to ban smoking on casino floors and align Penn Entertainment and its casinos with a public health mandate that has already eliminated indoor smoking, aside from gaming floors due to exemptions. Penn workers have now issued an open letter specifically addressing Jay Snowden, advocating for a smoke-free indoor policy. They highlight significant health risks and present financial data to counter concerns about losing financial momentum. Joe Hafley, the founder of CEASE Kansas and security officer at Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway, directly approached the company's CEO, stating, We are part of a growing national movement of casino workers who believe we should not have to choose between our health and our jobs. He emphasized that secondhand smoke causes lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses. Efforts to end the smoking exemption have gained traction over the years. However, despite political promises and substantial worker support, accomplishing the goal of ending indoor smoking has been challenging. The letter further references official CDC data on the harmful effects of smoking, especially secondhand smoke, and notes that only 11% of Americans are regular smokers. This statistic suggests that most casino visitors would likely prefer not to be seated next to someone smoking.
The evidence is there to justify ending the smoking exemption
The letter referenced a recent study showing that non-smoking properties may actually perform better financially compared to those that continue offering smoking as a service for a minority of patrons. Despite these findings, many casinos, particularly in areas like New Jersey, remain cautious about rapidly adopting change. They cite the slow pace of post-pandemic recovery as a reason for their reluctance to potentially lose customers by collectively banning smoking.
