This Week in Gambling: Las Vegas smoking ban?

There's been talk of a Las Vegas casino smoking ban for decades without success. Now there are renewed discussions in Nevada and around the country about putting an end to casino smoking in Las Vegas and beyond.

Smoking in Las Vegas casinos and hotel rooms used to be quite common, much like cheap buffets. While puffing away is still widely allowed on casino floors in Sin City these days, it has been nearly banned everywhere else. Most Vegas resorts no longer offer smoking rooms when you’re booking online, but that doesn’t mean they’re completely off-limits.

In many places, smoking rooms are still available upon request. For example, Caesars Palace allows guests to book smoking rooms online while most of their other properties do not. MGM Resorts largely phased out smoking rooms nearly ten years ago, but Caesars only started offering theses rooms as a choice after the COVID era.

Online reservation systems for places like Wynn, Encore, Venetian, Palazzo, Resorts World, Fontainebleau, Sahara, Circus Circus, and The Strat no longer offer smoking room options. Treasure Island only offers a “smoking optional” room. However, all these casinos still have smoking rooms on designated floors. So what gives?

Despite shifting attitudes toward smoking in Las Vegas and across the nation, many casino operators have consistently pushed back against efforts to ban it.