Posted on 07/22/2006 3:57:14 PM PDT by SheLion
Nearly 300 union workers will be laid off by Casino Windsor due to declining revenues caused by Ontario's new smoking ban, casino officials said Wednesday.
The casino, which has nearly 4,000 employees, will lose 297 union workers over the next two weeks and immediately terminate 32 salaried employees, officials said, who also cited an unfavorable exchange rate and high gas prices for the decrease.
The law, which went into effect May 31, bans smoking in all public facilities, including bingo halls, bars, restaurants, sporting venues, stores, office buildings and Casino Windsor.
"This is a day that no one takes lightly. Layoffs or terminations are always a last resort," said Holly Ward, the casino's manager of corporate communications, told The Detroit News. "It's safe to say the business is softening right now. If revenue is declining, we can only wait for so long to react."
Casino officials declined to say how much business had dropped.
Analysts predicted a smoking ban at Casino Windsor would cause the casino to lose business to Detroit's casinos, which allow smoking.
About 80 percent of Casino Windsor customers come from nearby metropolitan Detroit and elsewhere in the United States.
Teresa Roncon, a spokeswoman for the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. in Toronto, which owns Casino Windsor, said the low exchange rate has made Windsor less favorable to gamblers.
Under the current exchange rate, Americans receive $1.13 Canadian for every $1 American. In the past, the exchange has been as high as $1.68 Canadian, luring many Americans across the border.
Toronto and Mississauga will be hit the hardest. I know I vacationed in Toronto back in August of 2004. Lots of smokers then.
"Detroit needs some Johnny Goombas to fix this little problem. Call someone to take care of it."
I’ll call “Nunzio” and “Two Finga Frankie”.
Your thermometer must be broke but since it's it's 112 in Rancho Cucamonga it must be 120 there.
~sigh
Well, Hooters is a big chain. They can afford the loss of revenue. That's the problem with these bans. Only the smaller business suffer. Your big chains could care less.
They are probably glad about this. They think this will just give them more business! :(
Embarrassed for ME??!! LOL
Why on earth would you be embarrassed for ME????
(Go Israel Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)
Well, I have no choice. I am 10 minutes from the Canadian border, but I can't stand their cigarettes.
And Bangor is 3.5 hours south of me. So..............the next best thing is to roll my own.
Cigar snobs should probably learn how to spell "privilege" before lifting their leg on "stupid" cigarette smokers.
The casinos in Indiana, however, are very creative: they just charge $10 a pack!! LOL
It ain't broke! This would be a perfect afternoon to fire up the Weber, since it's halfway preheated already.
Heh! The casinos in Colorado are excempt as well. But the tobaccophobe law has these few words in it: "Employees have the right to a smoke free workplace." And since casinos have employees as well, this law would be required to apply there, too.
I contend that this conflict makes this an illegal law and it should be thrown out because of it. But the revealing thing about it is that the idiot elected morons are saying, "I didn't even read this in the law when I signed it."
LOL. Spelling. The last refuge of idiots with no argument.
Chill out...........I know most of us have never been happy with the fact cigar and/or pipes were not permitted where cigarettes are.
I'm chilled, baby.
Nice try.
Are you really this big of an idiot, or do you just play one on the internet?
I ain't your baby.
Get a grip...........and your tag line is offensive.
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