Second Hand Smoke Leads to Las Vegas Lawsuit

Kanie Kastroll, a table games dealer at the Wynn Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, USA, is suing her employer. The class-action suit filed by Kastroll last week claims that the Wynn Casino provides employees with an unsafe working environment brought about by sencondhand smoke that is generated by casino patrons. Kastroll also alleges that the casino has a history of disciplining workers who complain about smoke in the workplace. The court filing is seeking damages in excess of $5 million.

This is the second lawsuit filed against a Vegas casino this year that concerns secondhand smoke. Interestingly, the issue of secondhand smoke in US casinos is not yet covered by American gambling laws. Instead, the issue is dealt with on local levels – state or even city governments have the right to decide whether or not smoking is allowed in public buildings such as casinos. Smoking in Las Vegas casinos has not been outlawed, though some casinos have taken measures to accommodate both smokers and non-smokers. Earlier this year, the Aria Casino in Las Vegas installed air curtains between dealers and players that drive away smoke. The Wynn Casino is actually one of the few Vegas casinos that has not taken measures to protect employees.

With smoking bans popping up in casinos around the world, some Las Vegas patrons are rightly concerned that their casinos could be next. Banning smoking in Vegas casinos could be good news for online casinos in United States, since players who are enjoying online casino games from their own home can smoke as much as they please.