Gaming | Health Bureau says smoking ban compromises 4.6 pct of revenue at most

Estimates from authorities suggest that the adverse impact of a blanket smoking ban in casinos on gaming revenue would only be limited to between 2.76 percent and 4.6 percent while casino operators may welcome less than four percent of patrons.
In a written reply to lawmaker Si Ka Lon’s enquiry which asked whether the government could uncover relevant statistics to bolster its stance against smoking on casino premises, the Health Bureau invoked a survey conducted by himself at the end of last year which targeted tourists and the initial assessment from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.
The survey indicates that 80.5 percent of the respondents show no opposition to the ban and 60 percent of the smoker-tourists surveyed were said to not be in objection to the idea.
Yet, 13.6 percent of the smoker-tourists expressed their desire to stay away from casinos if lit cigarettes are prohibited on site. The government also claims that such opponents only account for 4 percent of the entire number of respondents in the poll.
According to information from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, around 23 percent of the number of tourists the city receives are smoker-tourists, while only half or even less of them are said to smoke  at gaming tables. The authorities concluded the range of impacts inflicted on  gaming revenue suggest a twenty percent loss of smoker-gamblers.
The public health department agrees with the conclusion, claiming that the ban would only dwindle smoking gamblers by 13.6 percent.
In addition, the bureau stresses that more non-smoking gamblers might offset the estimated loss, restructuring the casino-goer base. It also reiterates its anti-smoking stance and seeks to realize its “ultimate goal of implementing a full smoking ban.”