First, while I do not necessarily agree with the advertising, they have the legal right to do it...just as they'll have the legal right to defend themselves against the invariable lawsuits because someone was "injured" watching them. I hope they have deep pockets.

Second, @atdleft said "George W. Bush trampled upon our Constitution in passing the USA (un)PATRIOT Act, illegally wiretapping our phones and emails, indefinitely detaining people not even charged with a crime, and torturing in our country's name..."

And of course, @Det__Munch followed with "Don't be naieve. ALL that HAS HELPED keep our country and it's citizens safe. Wire tap and torture away as long as we get some of the bad guys since the terrorists LIVE AMONG US and have for years waiting patiently for an opportunity to kill as evidenced at Fort Hood."

Apparently, @Det__Munch PREFERS living in a police state like Libya or Afghanistan(when the Taliban ruled). They had no terroristic acts. The general public was safe. THEY believe in detaining people without charges...throw 'em in jail if they don't believe like we do, or we don't like the way they look, or they're protesting or voicing their opinions. Well, sir, I say, if you like police states, please feel free to move there...and we'll see how well THEY tolerate your opinions.

Benjamin Franklin (I believe) once said, "Those who are willing to give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither, and will lose both." Those word still hold true over 250 years later.

And to all of those in the military who stand the wall so we can sleep in peace, and the families they leave behind while protecting us, thank you.

BorisR...Boulder Station made a BUSINESS DECISION by making their poker room a smoking-allowed room. Luckily for you, many OTHER casinos have a smoke-free poker room. That means YOU have more choices than a smoker does. So why is it a problem to allow smokers a choice?

This is the issue in front of us. Free Choice. If a non-smoker chooses to play somewhere that is non-smoker friendly, and ENOUGH non-smokers did so, those casinos you left would institute a new smoking policy. Why? Economics. The fact that more casinos are NOT smoke free would indicate to anyone with some intelligence that SMOKERS spend more, therefore it would not benefit their bottom line to become smoke-free.

And to those who argue that business would not be affected, that smokers would still gamble, used the same argument about drinking. Guess what? Take a close look at the number of local bars and taverns around the country that closed when smoking bans went into effect. If you are outside smoking, you are not inside eating or drinking.

Whether you like it or not, smoking is here to stay...just like alcohol. Prohibition didn't work for that, and it won't work for smoking. And for those who use medical reports about heart attacks or cancer after smoking bans take effect, here's a question for a medical survey...what is the cost of medical care, and how many people have been injured or killed because someone who is affected by stress more couldn't light up and took it out on those around him? How many more assaults, bar fights or brawls have occurred because of the smoking ban?

You want to see higher insurance rates for smokers? I'll agree to that when they ALSO raise the rates for every overweight person, every motorcycle rider, everyone who ever drank a sip of wine, beer or hard liquor, every person who ever bought a gun, a surfboard, skiis or scuba gear. Every single one of those people did something that puts themselves and others at risk, so they should also see higher rates.

Oops...wait...that's right...they can't do that...because everyone here who complains about smokers would be affected by one of those rate increases...some of you probably affected by several of them.

Yes, it's easy to target something YOU, personally, don't like...but take note of how easy it will be to expand those restrictions into something you DO like.

By the way, thank you everyone for the tips...South Pointe and Boulder Station are friendly to smokers. Now I know where to spend my money.

"If you smoke you HAVE to find a way to stop".

What about if you overeat, you HAVE to find a way to stop. Or, if you stink, you HAVE to find a way to bathe. Again, if you do not like the smoke, vote with your feet and go somewhere else. You mention the Bellagio and the Palazzo...go there...unless, of course, if you are like my wife, who gets physically ill from the scents they pump into the air at the Palazzo and Venetian.

I have a get-rich-quick idea...take my wife to the Venetian, wait until she gets sick and throws up on the floor, then sue them because they provided an unhealthy environment for her.

For those of you who make your living in the casino industry, remember this...as soon as you go smoke-free, high rollers will go to Macau, low rollers will stay home and do online gambling, and all of you will have your smoke free environments on the unemployment line.

Look at the casinos in Pennsylvania...25 percent smoking, and they could increase the smoking area if they could show the smoking slots took in more. The Beth Sands casino (one of Adelson's) showed non-smoking slots had an average daily take of about 111 dollars. The smoking slots took in an average daily take of around 351 dollars. They increased the smoking area to the max of 50 percent. The math is there...or are nonsmokers math-challenged as well?

(continued from prevoius post)
I am a center city dweller in Pennsylvania. I live in a row home (think of it as a townhome with the garage in back). I have a front porch I sit on and chat with the neighbors. My neighborhood consists of many different ethnic backgrounds. Everyone gets along nicely, and there are parks, museums and entertainment venues all within walking distance. Las Vegas has all the trappings of the city I live in, on a larger scale. There is no reason to believe that Las Vegas can be, and IS, a great place to lay down roots. Maybe if everyone who spends so much time and energy complaining about the status of things would channel that energy into improving their community, they might not have so much to complain about.

(continued from previous post)
B) Using terms like "artsy fartsy" does nothing more than display a different form of elitism...indicating that those who happen to like things like modern art, neo-expressionism or cubism are to be ridiculed for their preferences. I do not live in the Las Vegas Valley (yet), but for those questioning the availability of culture need look no farther than downtown Las Vegas and the Old Mormon Fort. I have visited some of the art museums offered in the casinos, and I have also been to the Boneyard and the Pinball Museum. I have seen broadway shows offered in the city as well. And before you talk about them all closing, take a look at Broadway in NYC...shows come and go there as well. Las Vegas has a lot of culture to offer for those of ALL appetites. In fact, I lament the fact that I missed the Helldorado Days(spelling?). That is classic Las Vegas.

C) Using Corporatists to refer to how other cities try to match some other city? Try looking on the Las Vegas Strip...where the majority of the properties are in the hands of 2 (yes, TWO) corporations. The biggest mistake the state made was allowing so much to be gobbled up by so few.

D) The New Deal was the WORST of the 20th century? Maybe you might want to review your history. Raging unemployment at a time where unemployment compensation did not exist...you lost you job, you starved. The New Deal created things like the Tennessee Valley Authority, bringing electricity to much of the rural south. It created many of the government buildings you see standing today...buildings with character, not concrete blockhouses. It put good people back to work who, through no fault of their own were unemployed. Play whatever political cards you want, but The New Deal was a good thing, and a necessary thing.

E) You talk about the surrounding area...Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire State Park, Lake Mead Recreational Area, Mt. Charleston...all great places (I've hiked trails at all of them). The problem is, they are in the SURROUNDING AREAS. Have you ever actually LIVED in the center of a city? People who live in the downtown areas usually rely on public transportation to get around. They may not have that disposable income that requires $5.00 or more to access those recreational areas. They need green areas. If I am wrong, then why do all those gated communities in places like Summerlin have large parks for their residents? How many parks are there within walking distance of downtown Las Vegas? How many city buses run to Valley of Fire or Red Rock Canyon? Las Vegas does have some nice large parks, but where are they located? Even Springs Preserve requires money to get in. If you go to places like Chicago or New York City, you will find islands of green where local residents can gather and have fun. In my limited travels through Las Vegas, I saw very little of that.

Yes, I'm posting comments about something OTHER than smoking. While the barbs fly at various posters, keep in mind that not everyone who posts here has English as a first language, so not all misspellings or grammatical errors are tied to a person's education.

"Can't we all just get along?"

That being said, I'd like to make a few constructive comments. First, burnemandturnem accurately points out the renewable energy will not create the 10,000's of jobs the casino industry does. It does not HAVE to. Even if it creates 1000 jobs, those jobs are going to be higher paid, skilled jobs. Those people are going to live here and spend here, generating more jobs in the service industry. Having larger renewable energy farms are more likely to draw the research and development jobs that go with advancing the technology needed by these industries, creating MORE skilled positions. The NEED for these skilled jobs will spur the local educational facilities to create/expand the training and teaching/research courses needed to SUPPLY the skilled labor, thereby improving the intellectual investment in Las Vegas. Employment and education expands because of a thousand jobs.

Fogcity has the right idea...the various redevelopment authorities/chambers of commerce/local governments should work together to market available commercial real estate to help expand the commercial/light industrial base. Again, you are not talking 10,000s of jobs, but every little bit helps. The more diversity in business you introduce, the easier it will be to diversify the entire economic base.

As for Mr. Gibbons, I agree that light rail systems are not the way to go when you can expand public transportation and get more bang for your buck. What should be expanded is a nationwide passenger rail system that serves all major cities, not just a select few (just my opinion).

Having said that, there are a number of things in his posts that bother me.

A) Why should race even be introduced here? The question is the graduation rate/educational level of the people, not how many white/hispanic/african american/asian/name your ethnicity students graduate. (more comments on second post)

Pennsylvania casinos were opened limiting the smoking area to 25 percent of the floor, with a provision that said if they can show that the smoking area draws more per machine than the non-smoking area, they could increase the smoking area to up to 50 percent of the floor. If non-smokers are such big spenders and so valuable to casinos, why is it every PA. casino offers a smoking area LARGER than 25 percent?

As for you lovely experts who say insurance companies should stop insuring smokers and let them all die, I've got an interesting tidbit for you: obesity related illnesses are surpassing those of smokers; if insurance companies want to save money, they can stop insuring all those buffet-eaters and let THEM die in peace.

I'm also waiting for the first lawsuit for fourth-hand smoke...that's the effect on others when someone suffering from third-hand smoke coughs up a lung on the guy sitting next to him. Ambulance chasers of the world unite!!!

Last time I checked, smoking is stil legal, just like gambling in Nevada and drinking. You cannot ban it any more than you could alcohol, so learn to live with it. It you really want to make an impact, lean on the casinos to ENFORCE the non-smoking areas...then you can have both smokers and non-smokers living in harmony.

Oh, wait...that's right...the smoke-nazis don't WANT to co-exist...they want it their way...period.

Can't wait to get back to Las Vegas, looking for smoke-nazis in the smoking areas of casinos so I can smoke them out.

The issue here is not about smokers/nonsmokers rights, because there is no such thing. It's about common courtesy. The RIGHTS spoken about are the rights of BOTH parties to enjoy what private parties have chosen to offer...in this case, casinos.

Get ready, airweare and thumper(who has an OBVIOUS oral fixation)...I am a smoker. Worse yet, I smoke CIGARS! (oh my...the devil himself) Guess what? I believe that casinos SHOULD offer smoking and nonsmoking areas...equal in size, PHYSICALLY partitioned, and separate air filtration and circulation systems. That way, BOTH sides can enjoy an evening out satisfying one vice. (of course, smokers ARE multitalented...we can satisfy TWO vices at the same time...THREE if you include drinking)

The problem? Smoke nazis will wander into the smoking area and complain about the smoke. They don't want ANYONE to enjoy something THEY personally despise. Why do you have such a big issue allowing us our own areas? Why do you insist that EVERYTHING must be YOUR way?

My wife is a nonsmoker. She is also bothered by heavy perfumes and colognes. They make her physically ill...just like the scented air they have at Palazzo and Venetian. We CHOSE not to visit those casinos. Are you going to force all casinos to do a sniff test before allowing people into their casinos? After all, it IS a health risk to her. If you want to use health as an issue, then maybe you should shut down all the restaurants and buffets...more people die from obesity-relatd issues than second hand smoke (look up the numbers...and avoid wiki...obesity related issues are supplanting cancer as the number one killer).

When you're done choking on your twinkies, keep this point in mind. People who smoke tend to stay longer and spend more when they're out where they can enjoy it. If you doubt that, pay a visit to the Silver City Casino...they went smoke free years ago...oh, wait, you can't...they're now a Walgreens.

Nonsmokers have as much right to casinos as smokers do. If you want the Las Vegas economy to thrive, force the casinos to PROPERLY set up smoking/nonsmoking gaming areas...not just say, this bank of slots is one, that bank is the other...physically separate them, and let both parties live in peace. If the smoke nazis get their way, the casinos in Las Vegas will suffer the same decline in revenues that Atlantic City has over the last two years with THEIR ban. Where did all those smoke nazis disappear to then? They certainly didn't embrace AC!

Okay thumper. Take whatever you have in your mouth out and let me have it. :-)

Keep in mind, Topher96, that all those Californians you're counting on to move into Nevada to take advantage of the tax situation will then become VOTERS in Nevada. Don't forget it was the way THEY voted in California to strip any real power from the very officials THEY elected that created a major portion of the deficits they're now facing. Are you sure having them do the same in Nevada is a GOOD thing?

For those of you claiming to be "looking out for the public" in your zeal to see smokers and those "nasty" tobacco products drawn, quartered and flushed down the toilet, keep the following in mind:

1) A total smoking ban WILL...I repeat...WILL result in major job losses as, using phil721's words, smokers "move on". That means an even larger increase in unemployment, and a major reduction in city and state services as tax revenues decline. Just look to Atlantic City and Illinois if you want to see what can happen.

2) Expect a substantial increase in the level of taxes you pay...and NOT because of the increase in unemployment. Do you have any IDEA just how much of the cost of that $7.00 pack of cigarettes is in federal/state/local taxes? Just count up the number of packs purchased every day at one mini-mart, and you'll get an idea of just how much money is involved.

3) Expect increases in violence in and around bars, nightclubs and casinos. Smokers do so because it helps to calm their nerves. Now take away their ability to smoke, and you will see decreases in tolerance and increases in aggravation. (check local police reports for the number of calls to places affected by the current smoking regulations)

Oh, and for those of you who continue to use the argument that you shouldn't put the almighty dollar above the public health, then put your money where your mouth is. Turn in your automobiles, which spew a greater volume of toxins into the air than any smoker can. When you're finished, you can shut off the electricity to your house. After all, coal-generated energy? Global warming. Nuclear energy? Leaving radioactivity for your great great great grandkids? Oh, and have those casinos shuttered that pump that gagging scent into the air causing those with alergies to suffer from sneezing, watering eyes and headaches.

Am I over the top? No...you cannot "claim" you are concerned about the public health and then say smokers are the ONLY cause of distress. The fact that YOU, personally, do not approve does not give you the RIGHT to dictate to others what they can and cannot do. The facts are simple. Casinos have always been smoke filled. I have never seen a photo or archival video that did not include patrons standing around with cigarette/cigar/pipe in hand. You got a job in a casino, knowing full well the smoking conditions, for one reason...to make money. You could just as easily gone to work in a bank, restaurant or office, but you chose one that offered you a quicker route to getting wealthy. You want to be able to choose, so allow those same casinos to choose. If you are so certain that the economics of a smoke free environment in a casino are viable, convince Harrah's or MGM Mirage to convert ONE of their casinos into a smoke free haven(they HAVE enough of them). Let them run it as such for 12 to 18 months and then look at the bottom line.

Oh, wait...Silver City casino tried that...I think they're a Walgreen's now.