SMOKING AT THE CASINOS

It is really the story of two casinos, one that drags its feet and one that is trying to negotiate. You be the judge.

Chuck Bunnell, the Chief of Staff, of the Mohegan Tribe, (which owns the Mohegan Sun Casino) supposedly stated that between 80% to 90% on the casino hotel resort was smoke free. He probably is right if you add the hotel and other places, yes, 80% is smoke free. However, from my observation if you travel the casino, especially the gaming areas, it is probably more like 20% smoke free.

The Mohegan Tribe has a tentative deal with Governor M. Jodi Rell, to slowly ban smoking through out its casino over time. The agreement with the state "governing the reduction, removal and monitoring of secondhand smoke." The basis of the deal, the way I understand it is for the Mohegan Sun Casino will go smoke free to the same extent that the surrounding casinos go smoke free.

In other words they would go as smoke free at same rate as Rhode Island's two (2) casinos an the casinos in New York. If those casinos were 20% smoke free so would the Connecticut casinos. It seems fair and equitable to me. The casinos outside of Connecticut would not have an economic advantage over the Connecticut casinos.

In my opinion, the Mohegan Sun Casino seems to have a better air filtration system than the Foxwood Resorts Casinos. The Mohegan Sun Casino seems to a better job of moving workers around the casino based on their health needs.

At Foxwoods, Jackson King, General Council for the Mashantucket Pequots said, "we are not adverse to a written agreement. But we feel strongly it has to be a voluntary agreement."


Richard Blumenthal, the Attorney General of Connecticut said, "Very importantly my proposal exempts federally recognized tribes that enact a similar law through their tribal statues......My amendment achieves the goal of smoke-free casinos while respecting tribal sovereignty by exempting tribes that enact their own laws or enter into a compact with the state of Connecticut."

Blumenthal believes that under the compacts between both tribes and the State of Connecticut agreed to adopt public heath standards (Connecticut's standards). He noted that in 2003, Connecticut banned smoking in bars, restaurants and other public places.

The way I understand it, Blumenthal wants both Connecticut casinos totally smoke-free by October 2011. He reportly said the state could file a lawsuit in federal court.

Bunnell said that the Mohegan Tribe would appose any legislation that seeks to regulate smoking at the casinos, because it would violate the compact between the Mohegan Tribe and the State of Connecticut.

David Rome (an attorney representing the Mohegan Tribe) said, the compact was not "prospective." He believed that the compact did not require the tribe to adhere to public health standards the state might adopt after the compact was signed in 1994.

It should be interesting how this all plays out. Is the Mohegan Sun Casino doing a better job about smoke-free areas than Foxwoods? Is the deal that the Mohegan Tribe and Governor M. Jodi Rell about smoking in the casinos a good one? Should the Mohegans be negotiating separately? What do you think?