The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians board of directors voted to ban smoking inside its Kewadin Casinos in Michigan.
The tribe has five properties located on the Upper Peninsula, giving Michigan bettors five more smoke-free casinos. Additionally, it is the land-based partner for a Michigan online casino.
The tribe gave WynnBET access to the Michigan market. However, WynnBET will soon become Horseshoe online casino.
Smoking has become a controversial topic in multiple states across the country, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey. After listening to feedback, Kewadin Casinos decided it would be in the best interest of everyone to ban the behavior altogether.
Sault Tribe puts health and safety first
PlayMichigan reached out to the Sault Tribe for additional details about the decision but did not hear back. However, it’s clear the tribe is striving for a cleaner and healthier environment than other properties. Not only for customers, but for employees, too.
Sault Tribe Chairman, Austin Lowes, told TV6 News in a statement:
“The board’s decision to go smoke-free at our Kewadin casinos is another step on our broader path focusing on health and wellness of the communities we serve.
“We’ve been very focused as a tribal government on improving health, and this transition to smoke-free casinos is the right step forward that ensures we are creating a welcoming experience at Kewadin facilities that everyone can enjoy.”
The new policy is expected to go into effect within six weeks. The Sault Tribe took the feedback of customers from customers and employees extremely seriously.
“This policy change aligns with our mission to create the very best experience possible for all our guests,” Allen Kerridge, CEO of Kewadin Casinos, said. “We’ve heard from many customers and Team Members who feel a smoke-free environment is the right step forward. We’re excited to meet their needs and provide an even more welcoming atmosphere at all our properties.”
It’ll be interesting to see what kind of impact a smoke-free gaming floor would have for these properties. And whether or not other casinos in the state adopt a similar strategy.
Many tribal casinos oppose smoking in Michigan
Tribal casinos make up 26 of the 29 casinos in the Great Lakes State. The Sault Tribe has become the latest to ban smoking inside casinos. Here are the tribal casinos that have already banned smoking:
- Bay Mills Resort & Casino
- FireKeepers Casino Hotel
- Four Winds Casinos
- Island Resort & Casino
- Leelanau Sands Casino
- Northern Waters Casino Resort
- Odawa Casinos
- Saganing Eagles Landing Casino
- Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
- Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel
Also, MotorCity Casino is the only property in Detroit that is technically smoke-free. According to the website, it displays the following message:
“If you want to smoke, please look for the signs or ask an associate for directions to an outdoor smoking area.”
MGM Grand Detroit and Hollywood At Greektown each had suspended smoking during the pandemic. However, both properties brought smoking back at the end of 2022.
We’ll see how the smoking debate transpires in the Great Lakes State.
