Mississippi Casino Smoking Will Remain After Legislation Extinguished
Smoking in Mississippi casinos will continue as attempts to require gamblers to smoke outside were unsuccessful in the Jackson capital.
The previous month, Casino.org covered state Rep. Bryant Clark (D-Pickens) submitting House Bill 361. Named the Mississippi Smoke-Free Air Act of 2025, the law aimed to implement a tobacco prohibition in most enclosed public structures and workplaces.
Clark’s HB361 was sent to the House Public Health and Human Services Committee, where it failed to receive a vote and ultimately perished. Even with Clark on the committee, the Republican-led group chaired by Rep. Richard Bennett (R-Long Beach) postponed the anti-smoking legislation.
Unlike many other states, Mississippi lacks a statewide smoke-free law that bans tobacco product use, such as cigarettes, in most workplaces and public areas. In contrast, the Magnolia State permits local communities to decide if indoor smoking is permitted and to what extent.
The Mississippi State Department of Health reports that 187 towns are smoke-free, with 157 also banning electronic cigarettes. Only seven out of the 82 counties in Mississippi have adopted smoke-free laws.
Tobacco Regulations Persistently Rejected
Clark’s effort to improve the air quality in Mississippi casinos was admirable, but its failure was not surprising. The state representative from Holmes County has introduced a smoke-free law in every legislative session since 2013, but without success.
Bennett serves as a representative for Harrison County, home to numerous highly profitable casinos along the Gulf of Mexico, or as President Donald Trump refers to it, the Gulf of America.
Mississippi's Gulf Coast ranks as the fifth most lucrative casino market in the U.S., following the Las Vegas Strip, Atlantic City, Chicagoland, and Baltimore-Washington, DC. In 2024, the 12 casinos located in the Mississippi Gulf Coast area produced gross gaming revenue (GGR) exceeding $1.58 billion.
As of December, Beau Rivage, Boomtown, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock, Harrah’s, Hollywood, IP, Island View, Palace, Scarlet Pearl, Silver Slipper, and Treasure Bay collectively employed 11,179 individuals. Numerous legislators against the state becoming smoke-free argue that casinos would be adversely affected, as certain gamblers who like to smoke while playing slots or rolling dice may choose to go to nearby Louisiana or Arkansas, where smoking in casinos is allowed.
Non-Smoking Casinos
Although permitted to allow smoking on its gaming floor, Island View in Gulfport has chosen to implement a smoke-free policy. Mississippi has additional casinos where indoor smoking is prohibited, either due to local regulations or the owner's choice to ensure a clean indoor air space.
In addition to Island View, Mississippi casinos that are smoke-free comprise Magnolia Bluffs located in Natchez. The Bok Homa Casino, a tribal facility managed by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, additionally provides smoke-free gaming in Heidelberg.
The smoking rates in Mississippi continue to be significantly above the national average, with roughly 20% of adults reporting that they smoke regularly. Approximately 8% of adults across the country state that they are consistent tobacco users.
The smoking rate in Mississippi fell from over a quarter of adults ten years ago.