On October 9th, the Hancock County Board of Health made a decision to modify the existing smoking ban in public areas. Consequently, the Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort and a handful of video lottery establishments are now authorized to permit smoking among their patrons.
Despite objections from both community members and one of its own, the Board of Health successfully passed the motion, which will take effect immediately.
Dr. Anna Suray, a health officer, expressed her bafflement over the decision, stating to wtrf.com that she could not comprehend its reasoning.
I am not concerned about whether a casino allows smoking or not. Instead, I believe our main focus should be on avoiding second-hand smoke exposure due to the well-known health risks associated with it.
Suray’s resignation followed closely after the vote, with her departure attributed to concerns regarding the conduct of the new board members. However, it is evident that the outcome of the motion also influenced her decision.
What does it mean for patrons of Mountaineer?
Mountaineer’s decision to allow smoking is not guaranteed by the motion. A community member, Rance Everly, a health and fitness coach, expressed disappointment with the dismissal of the smoking ban, citing concerns about his personal situation. Everly highlighted the potential risk of his wife, who works at one of the newly designated smoking areas, transferring smoke to their infant daughter upon returning home.
However, Everly’s concerns may be a bit premature at this stage. The removal of the ban does not necessarily require any of the impacted businesses to provide smoking options.
Permitting smoking may not be attractive to as many customers either, as indicated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s report stating that only 15 percent of Americans continue to smoke cigarettes.
Considering Mountaineer’s ability to persist without smoking, management may opt to maintain the property as a non-smoking establishment. Undoubtedly, the property, situated in the northernmost point of West Virginia, has demonstrated a consistent refusal to conform to societal norms on previous occasions as well.
The Mountaineer still doesn’t have any visible evidence of sports betting
The Mountaineer’s unique approach to following its own path is evident in its decision to abstain from engaging in sports betting thus far. Among all gaming facilities in West Virginia, the casino stands alone as the sole establishment that has not sought a sports betting permit.
Despite the recent partnership between its parent company and William Hill, Eldorado Resorts remains skeptical about sports betting and shows little enthusiasm for any progress in the New Cumberland-area property.
The recent acquisition of Tropicana Atlantic City by the company holds great importance, considering the Trop’s status as one of the limited establishments in Atlantic City that still supports sports betting. Surprisingly, instead of progressing further, Eldorado chose to dismiss the team responsible for managing the Trop’s online casino platform.
Eldorado has also consented to divest a portion or potentially all of its properties in Pennsylvania. The launch of sports betting in Pennsylvania is about to happen soon. It appears counterintuitive for a company to withdraw from the market at this crucial time.
Therefore, it is possible that the nearby casino may not react to the decision made by the Board of Health. In other words, the Mountaineer casino will continue to operate as it always has.
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