We have plenty of naturally occurring conditions that affect air quality. It gets pretty windy here in the desert, and that kicks up plenty of dust and sand.
But, honestly whatever Mother Nature could dream up and execute, it pales in comparison to the air quality in casinos.
Sure casinos are smoke filled dens of inequity, but of all the casinos in Las Vegas -- which one is the worst?
I told you this wouldn't be easy. I've been in a lot of Las Vegas casinos, but certainly not all of them. For instance, I've never had the nerve to venture into most of the casinos on Boulder Highway (like Klondike Sunset) or North Las Vegas
(Jerry's Nugget comes to mind) -- granted these casinos are not within the city limits of Las Vegas proper, but neither is 90% of the casinos on the Strip.And what makes me an expert? I have a nose?
Yes, I do . . . and I like to breathe through it. I'm pretty sensitive to cigarette smoke, but I also love to play the slots, which is quite a problem indeed.
Before I digress too far, let me get right to the point. Rampart Casino stinks. I was there twice this last weekend (check out my previous posts) and each time I walked into the casino I was floored by the stench.
Not only is the casino floor stinky, it makes me cough, and feel slightly ill. The casino is circular, with the slots placed around the table games, and as I was walking the outer ring, thinking how bad I felt, a floor person asked if they could help me. Now considering that most of the guests are retirees from Summerlin (folks have told me this casino reminds them of a morgue) and don't move so good in general, my trudging and glassed over expression must have seemed particularly needy.
I told him what exactly what was on my mind. This casino stinks. He told me old owners (J.W. Marriott) had a state of the art filtration system, but the new owners (Cannery Casinos sold to the son of legendary Australian whale Kerry Packer) shut it off.
I left wishing him luck, as he had to work his shifts in this toxic environment, and hit the buffet, which thankfully is in a smoke free zone.
The Rampart is less than 10 years old. Certainly, that is enough time to develop some serious funk. Still, it is not enough time to develop legendary status for dive-hood. Also, the Rampart was marketed for several years as an upscale establishment -- so the owners would not be happy to learn that I am putting them in the same category as the Klondike Casino.
I've mentioned the Klondike before in my previous posts, and yes, I do have a soft spot for the now defunct casino/motel (as opposed to a casino/resort.) But, boy, did it stink.
Searching the internet for Las Vegas Casino Air Quality didn't capture much. Apparently, they care a lot more about the danger of smoke filled casinos in New Jersey than they do in Nevada.
They are serious back East, and in the fall of this year will require casino floors to be smoke free.
http://www.njgasp.org/i_gamble_intro.htm
This will probably be a boon for Las Vegas, as it is really hard for me imagine hard core smoking slot jockeys reaching a bonus round and not being able to light up. If I were an airline I would plan on adding more non-stops from the East Coast to Vegas.
Sin City has had its own legislation that curtails smoking in Taverns and Lounges that serve food. Its really a catch 22, because I believe a stipulation is that the Taverns HAVE to serve food for the license. Most simply erected walls between the bar and dining areas to get around the new law. Most folks predicted the Taverns would drop like Cicadas in August, but that hasn't happened. I've heard that even a couple of video poker machines will produce enough revenue to warrant keeping the doors open, so even with the tougher environment these businesses are still making a profit.
I do applaud New Jersey for doing the right thing, and not exposing their patrons and employees to air that is simply not fit to breath.
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