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.
They obviously don't have the muscle casinos in NJ have. Our casinos are exempt from the ban. Well, actually--and this is even funnier--smoking is only allowed on the floor where the gambling takes place, not in the shops or outer areas. I bet the casinos put that detail in themselves! Detroit needs some Johnny Goombas to fix this little problem. Call someone to take care of it.
I'll bet the libs are blaming the unemployment on Bush .
Cig taxes are choking our economy. In NJ, they just went up again. Getting near $7/pack. Only $4 in PA, but some ppl are still too stupid/lazy to drive to PA and stock up on cigs. Anyway, the money goes to the gubmint and squeezes mostly low income stupid ppl.
However, if the revenue isn't there, they can't afford to pay everyone. I'm sure it's will be the same in New Jersey.
Who is going to pay the employees? The state?
Well that settles it. I'll never go to a Casino in Windsor. In fact, I'll not go to Windsor. Sure wish we could get Comrade Granholm to go back.
You're lucky! Maine just raised the cigarette taxes to $2 dollars a pack and $10 dollars a carton! The cheapest cigarettes we can buy in Maine is Doral, and they run around $45 dollars a carton!! ack!
Premiums run around $60 a carton is not higher.
See why I roll my own??? heh!
One of the reasons our local Indian Casinos are very popular is that smokers can indulge (most casinos have or are designating smallish parts as non-smoking, however, to keep the peace pipe going). Here in the desert (Check my page for current temp!) being able to smoke indoors in a public place is quite popular.
Like I said, in NJ, you can smoke in casinos on the gambling floor. So they don't have any problems. The part I like is you can actually smoke cigars, which is a rare privelage. All the cig smokers whine and moan about not being allowed to smoke in restaurants and bars. I say boo-hoo. Try being a cigar smoker. It's almost never ok to smoke cigars, even where cigarettes are permitted.
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.
That's too bad about the exchange rate.
It's pathetic! And do you think the anti's care about people losing their jobs? Not in a million years!
Bet a Loony win a Loony what does the exchange rate have to do with it?
OIC. Well, better that then nothing, that's for sure!
When I started smoking cigs full time they were 1.10 a pack. When I quit cigs they were 2.15 a pack. Glad I got out when I did. I had a nice career as a smoker, but I was glad to hang it up.
Honestly...I'm embarrassed for ya'...
I didn't comment on the exchange rate. Ask Moonman62. He seems to be concerned about it.
I'm too clumsy and lazy...I'll drive over to Palm Springs (if they're not having one of their gay pride parades that week) and pay $14.00 - period, no sales tax - per carton for decent Canadian manufactured ciggies...(they do internet/mail order and claim to be immune from that taxation business going on)
They're in a shopping center on Tribal land, as is much of the entire city of Palm Springs.
Googleize 'em if you like: Black Hawk Tobacco
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