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October 11, 2008 11:15:19 PM CDT

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No Dice for Smoking Gamblers

Posted Jan 1, 08 9:12 AM CST in US 

(Newser) – The brand-new ban on indoor smoking in Illinois is expected to hit the state's nine casinos hard, the Chicago Tribune reports. Plenty of gamblers like a smoke, and along the Mississippi River, all they'll need to do is cross into Missouri or Iowa to enjoy one. "No smoking and I'm gone elsewhere," said one gambler.  "Gambling and smoking—they just go together."

Gaming operators in the state project that their business will drop 20%, costing state and local government millions in lost tax revenue. But not everyone is betting on the ban's being bad for casinos. "I'm sure many of us would come more often if smoking stopped," said an 81-year-old ex-smoker on a riverboat casino.

Source Chicago Tribune

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A man smokes at a gaming table. Casino bosses predict that Illinois' tough new anti-smoking law will cut their business by a fifth.   (Associated Press)
People smoke while playing slot machines. Illinois gamblers who smoke say they're sure Missouri casinos will welcome them. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)   (Associated Press)
Illinois gambling operators worry that the state's new smoking ban is going to hit their business hard, since gamblers who don't want to butt out can just cross over the border to casinos in Missouri...   (Getty Images)
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