Laws in Canada are similar. “Aboriginals” there don’t pay tobacco taxes and like in many states, make a lot of money selling cigarettes to non-Indians. Most also allow smoking in tribal casinos.

I agree a ban is inevitable in all states. Even the Detroit casinos know that. I think something will get passed this year. I just hope the Senate does not resume its posturing and has real discussions with the House. It was unlikely anything was going to get done in just a few days last month.

But tobacco will probably never be outlawed. Prohibition doesn’t work very well, and the states’ addiction to tobacco taxes means they’re happy to allow them to be sold (even if you can’t smoke them anywhere).

I said this in a different post, but I really don’t think it’s a matter of if but when a smoking ban passes in any state that doesn’t currently have one. The only reasons cigarrettes have not been outrighted banned is because of the money they bring local governments. I’m so glad I was never curious or peer pressured into trying it.

According to the Michigan Gaming Newsletter, the 3 Detroit casinos generated $1.25 billion in revenue last year. Of that, MGM and MotorCity pay a 19% wagering tax. Greektown pays 24% because it is not yet considered “fully operational” — meaning, with a hotel.

So that means the three casinos paid about $253 million in taxes, of which the state gets a little less than half, the rest going to the city of Detroit. That figure doesn’t include various fees and payroll taxes at the city, state and federal level.

The Native American casinos’ tax rates are typically 8% of revenue going to the state and 2% to local comminities. I did find on Michigan.gov that the 12 recognized tribes paid $11.3 million to the state in 2007 and $17 million to local governments. (The lower state number has something to do with a lawsuit over the state violating some compacts, I think.)

So you’re looking at at least $281 million in taxes. In the case of Detroit, it is now the city’s largest employer with 10,000 workers and its only growing business. That’s why they’re so protective of it. I don’t know what budget percentage it encompasses, but it’s significant.

As for driving to Mount Pleasant, since they have billboards in Detroit, I am sure some people make the drive, even now. I do, occasionally. In addition, they have generally lower table limits.

But if a bill banning smoking in Detroit’s casinos is enacted, I am sure some smokers, at least occasionally, will go there instead of Detroit. If I want a cigar in the winter and tobacco shops/cigar bars aren’t exempted from a ban, I’ll be one of them.

Besides that, any time off a machine is lost money to the casino. That’s why Windsor put up outdoor smoking cages right off the casino floor, so they would not have to go all the way back to the parking structure. I don’t know if a Michigan smoking ban would even allow that.

The Detroit casinos do not like the idea that they pay more taxes than any Indian casino, have invested more than a billion in these properties and now could have the rules changed to put them at what they consider a competitive disadvantage.

I lived in a town with a riverboat casino in Illinois (Peoria)…..well, the boat is actually in East Peoria, but both communities rely on the revenue they get from the boat for a major portion of their budgets. I know it’s tough right now and everyone is having trouble balancing their budgets.

My only questions, as it relates to Michigan, would be how much does Michigan make off the casino revenue? Do the Indian casino’s pay anything to the state? How much of Detroit’s budget is reliant on casino revenue?

Illinois’ problem is being so close to other casinos…in some cases, literally just across the river. From what I’ve heard, the Peoria casino didn’t lose all that much while the Moline and East St. Louis boats lost quite a bit more than 20%. The Chicago area casino’s lost more than Peoria, but not as much as the Mississippi river boats. At least in Detroit, Windsor is also smoke free so patrons can’t run across the border…they’d have to drive to Mt. Pleasant or Saginaw (?) How many people are going to do that?

If there ends up being no way they can get an exemption, I think they’d push for as long a phase-in as possible, and the House would probably give it to them. The casinos will get consideration of some kind from the House.

I’d be ok with cigar shops and a 1/4 of hotel rooms if they choose to allow some smoking. I’m still not on board with casino’s and probably never will be.

But I hope the issue is able to be handled better this term without the deadline pressures of lame duck.

The anti-smoking lobby opposed all exemptions until it became abundantly clear no bill would pass without them. Only then did they urge compromise. But a year and a half of saying “no amendments” allowed Sen. Alan Cropsey and other ban opponents to say “all my e-mail has been for no exemptions,” when the message had actually changed (or it was supposed to).

And every Michigan county smoking ban passed includes exemptions for tobacco shops and 20% to 25% of hotel rooms. I’m not sure why they chose to not follow that template when they went statewide.