Government report shows that the ban on smoking in public place in Ontario could cut up about 500 million dollars from the annual profits from gaming. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. managed the initial report in 2004, but never exposed its conclusions. Mychoice.ca a smokers right group decided to publicize the report.
According to the Nancy Daigneault, president of the group mychoice, the estimated damage of the new anti-smoking rule was between 250 million dollars and 350 million dollars a year. She said that the numbers show that smaller business might be destroyed because of the rule.
Mychoice.ca is a smokers rights group supported by the tobacco industry. It claimed long ago that the Ontario province should allow bars and casinos to decide for themselves whether to ban smoking or to allocate smoking sections in their business.
The report also implies that casinos and racetracks incomes would decline between 15 and 20 per cent because of the anti smoking rule. The rule bans smoking in bars, restaurants, casinos, bingo halls and racetracks, and other public places.
