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Casino Lay-Offs Blamed on Smoking Ban

Casino Windsor in Ontario, Canada will be laying off more than 300 workers due to a marked decline in business that casino owners blame on a province-wide smoking ban, high gas prices and the low exchange rate.

According to Casino Windsor spokeswoman Holly Ward, revenue at the casino is down by 20 to 30 percent.

"This is a day that no one takes lightly. Layoffs or terminations are always a last resort," said Ward, the casino's manager of corporate communications. "It's safe to say the business is softening right now. If revenue is declining, we can only wait for so long to react."

The provincial smoking ban that the casino blames for decline in revenues came into effect May 31 this year. They say that customer traffic has dropped significantly less than 2 months since the ban.

Management also says that fewer American tourists are crossing the border due to hassles over passport controls at the border and the surging value of the Canadian dollar.

Layoff notices have gone out to 297 unionized and 32 non-union staff. Majority of the laid-off workers are employees that serve from table games, slot operations, food and beverage services and casino finances Ward however said that some of the workers would be recalled as soon as ongoing renovations are complete and business picks up. The $400 million expansion is expected to be completed by the end of the year.