Yet another economic impact study that ignores economics. As with most of the so called economic impact studies done by those within the tobacco control movement the latest one funded in part by MoGASP ignores revenue, which of course is the only real measure of economic impact. So what do they claim? Well for starters they claim that the smoking ban did not hurt casinos. in Bold Print MoGASP proclaims “Exempting casinos from the Smoke-free Illinois Act will not bring patrons back: They never left”
While this may be true it painfully ignores the economic reality that most bartenders in smoking ban areas can attest. Their smoking customers my still come but they do not stay as long and when they leave they take many of the non-smoking customers with them. The economic numbers do not lie.
Casino Revenue Growth
SOURCE: State gaming boards of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Missouri.
