The $925 million MGM National Harbor is set to open in late 2016.
The anti-smoking lobby in Maryland is objecting to legislation which would allow gamblers to smoke inside the MGM National Harbor, a casino being developed at present. MGM Resorts wants to install a 2,000 square foot cigar lounge on the premises, which would allow smokers to relax inside while they smoked, instead of going to an outdoor area.
The smoking lounge is part of a local bill being considered which involves the casino’s liquor license. Anti-smoking groups say the lounge is an attempt to sneak in a dangerous smoker’s lounge into an alcohol consumption law.
ALA Believe Lounge Is Unfair to Workers
The American Lung Association and other advocacy groups are objecting to any smoking room in the casino, because it would trap workers in a smoke-filled area for an entire shift. They also say the cigar lounge would not be fair to other local establishments, which cannot have smoking areas.
Bonita Pennino, who works as the ALA’s government relations director, said her organization has the health of non-smokers who work for the casino in mind. Pennino said, “It puts the health of those casino workers at risk. That worker is in there for an eight-hour shift, so they’re exposed to cigar-smoking for eight hours straight.”
House Economic Matters Committee
The proposed legislation currently is in the committee phase of the House Economic Matters Committee. It was introduced by the state delegation from Prince George’s County. If the committee approved such a provision, it would be voted on by the entire Maryland House of Delegates. Members of the committee are going to try to have the cigar lounge struck from the bill’s language.
The Clean Indoor Air Act states that establishments which serve alcohol cannot have indoor smoking. The act was passed in order to ban smoking inside bars, nightclubs, and restaurants.
Local Owners Say Bill Is Unfair
The owners of locations which serve food and alcohol oppose the MGM National Harbor provision for their own reasons. They argue that the act hurts local business owners, because smokers are less likely to spend time at their establishments, if they can’t smoke inside. In their mind, if the MGM National Harbor casino can open a cigar lounge, other businesses should be allowed to do so.
Cigar shops operate as private businesses throughout the United States. MGM Resorts wants to install a cigar shop in their venue as a separate business. Advocates argue that the cigar lounge should be treated like a separate business, like the eateries, sit-down restaurants, coffee shops, and bars which exist inside your average casino. Those against such a lounge say it is not a separate business, but an addendum to a bar.
Unknown How Widespread It Is
No one has said definitively whether the new bill would limit the cigar lounges to one per restaurant or bar, or one per casino. The Prince George’s County Department of Legislative Services estimated there would be 8 to 12 such concessionaires, which seems to indicate there might be one per establishment in the casino complex.
When it opens, MGM National Harbor is going to be the second major integrated resort in the Baltimore area. In late 2014, Caesars Entertainment opened the Horseshoe Baltimore. The casino had some issues in the early months, causing a management shakeup.
About MGM National Harbor Casino
The National Harbor Casino is expected to have major restauranteurs and club owners open establishments in the gaming enclave. When it opens in late 2016, it is expected to bring 7,500 permanent jobs to the area.
Maryland voters approved the building of a casino in Prince George’s County when it passed Question 7 in 2012. Approval for a license was given in December 2013, while construction permits were offered in August 2015. Since then, construction has proceeded apace.
