Las Vegas' Venetian and Palazzo amend policy to permit table game smoking despite criticism

In a contentious move, the Venetian and Palazzo resorts in Las Vegas are changing their smoking policies at gaming tables, aligning closer to long-standing practices at properties from Wynn Resorts. According to an internal memo released last Wednesday, customers at the Venetian and Palazzo will be allowed to smoke at gaming tables, while also providing non-smoking tables on a case-by-case basis.

“Beginning Monday, Nov. 6, the company will reinstate the smoking policy on the casino floor which will permit the smoking of cigarettes, cigars, and vapes at all table games on the casino floors at The Venetian and the Palazzo,” the memo, retrieved by Las Vegas Review-Journal, states. “As a reminder, the use or visibility of marijuana products continues to be strictly prohibited.”

The document also clarifies that guests who wish for a smoke-free environment may request a non-smoking table, which should be facilitated by a table games supervisor or higher authority.

According to the company, the measures are a result of feedback on its smoking policy, which has led to a review and the subsequent rules' modification with the goal to "remain competitive and strategic" in its business decisions.

This policy change mirrors an unadvertised program at Wynn and Encore Las Vegas, where a player can approach an empty table and request it be designated as non-smoking, resulting in a “non-smoking” sign being placed on the table.

Advocacy group Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights has criticized the policy, calling it a smokescreen for the policies that resorts should be implementing. Cynthia Hallett, President and CEO of the organization, argues that partial smoking policies fail to address the health concerns of casino employees and guests, as secondhand smoke does not adhere to designated boundaries.

Cynthia Hallett

“Secondhand smoke respects no boundaries, and allowing smoking in designated areas cannot cloak the pervasive risks it poses,” she said. “It’s also troubling that under Wynn’s policy, table game dealers must rely on the awareness of patrons regarding this unadvertised rule and hope that they opt for a smoke-free gaming experience.”

The issue of smoking in casinos is a hotly debated topic in Nevada, where there are no state restrictions on the practice. Park MGM is the only resort property with a smoking ban in place since 2020, and in June, a 2,500-square-foot non-smoking gaming parlor with a separate entrance was introduced at the downtown's Plaza.

At the Global Gaming Expo in October, a sparsely attended panel discussed smoking policies in casinos, including a report suggesting that smoke-free policies have not negatively impacted revenue generation where they have been implemented.