Shreveport, Louisiana City Council Votes To Repeal Smoking Ban In Casinos

Gamblers and high rollers looking to light up at Bally’s and other casinos in Shreveport, Louisiana, will once again be allowed to enjoy their cigars. In a rare move, the Shreveport City Council voted on Tuesday to repeal the smoking ban at Shreveport casinos that had been in place since 2020. The vote passed 4-2, with one council member absent.
Taking effect on June 1, the relaxed law is intended to provide a spark for the local casinos that have struggled since the beginning of the pandemic. Casino management argued that the smoking ban played a significant role in hurting business, sending their potential customers across the Red River to Bossier City, where smoking in casinos is permitted.
The Shreveport City Council enacted the smoking ban in August of 2020 and it was officially implemented the following August in 2021.
Under the new amendment to the ban, Shreveport casinos can allow smoking on 75 percent of the casino floors, whereas the remaining 25 percent must remain smoke-free.
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