Union pursues casino smoking ban

 

The hospitality workers' union will meet the Victorian Government tomorrow to discuss smoking bans in gaming venues, including Crown casino.

 

Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union state secretary Brian Daley said the union would ask Health Minister John Thwaites to ban smoking from July 1.

 

Mr Daley said the union was optimistic after Premier Steve Bracks yesterday reiterated the government's commitment to widening the smoking ban - already in force in restaurants and shopping centres.

 

"We said all along - once we had bedded down the reforms in the restaurant industry and shopping centres, and once that worked effectively and proved to work effectively, we'd move on to other smoking restrictions ... and we're doing just that," Mr Bracks said.

 

He said talks with the gaming and hotel industries about extending the bans were continuing. He said smoking bans in bars and clubs were "open for negotiation and discussion".

 

Mr Daley said the union had run its health and safety campaign for more than a year. Hundreds of Victorian hospitality workers have begun signing a passive smoking register that could lead to common law cases against employers

 

Nevada casinos win $769.7 million in October, down 5.1 percent

 

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) -- A winning slump for Nevada casinos that began in September following terrorist attacks on the East Coast continued in October, a state report showed Tuesday.

 

The state Gaming Control Board report showed the statewide win from gamblers was $769.7 million in October. That's down 5.1 percent compared with the same month a year earlier.

 

The state's share in taxes on the win, $44.4 million, was down 8 percent in October. Taxes paid by the casinos represent one of the biggest sources of revenue to keep state government running.

 

A breakdown of the October win figures shows that while the Las Vegas Strip was down 10.6 percent, downtown Las Vegas was off only 2.6 percent.

 

Boulder Strip casinos were up 5.3 percent and clubs in North Las Vegas were up 6.6 percent. Laughlin resorts were down 4.4 percent.

 

In northern Nevada, Reno casinos were down 4.4 percent and Sparks resorts were down nearly 2 percent. Casinos on Tahoe's south shore were up 3.3 percent.

 

"Win" is a gross figure, with no operating costs or other expenses deducted. And it's casino revenue only -- separate from hotel, restaurant or bar revenues generated by the resorts.

 

Gov. Kenny Guinn planned to meet Wednesday with his economic advisers, including state Budget Director Perry Comeaux, economist Bill Anderson, GCB Chairman Dennis Neilander and state Taxation Director Dave Pursell, to talk about the revenues.

 

In September, when the impact of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was first felt, casino win was down 3.2 percent compared with the same month a year earlier.sbobet88 And sales tax revenues plummeted more than 9 percent in September, the biggest decrease in a decade. The October sales figures aren't out yet.

 

Combined, gambling and sales taxes generate three-quarters of all state general fund revenue.

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