Casinos in Shreveport, La. will once again be able to allow their patrons to light up, as on Tuesday the Shreveport City Council passed an amendment to the city’s smoking ban that will repeal the prohibition on smoking in such establishments.
The amendment, which requires casinos to make at least 25 percent of their floor space non-smoking, passed by a 4-2 vote with one council member not present at the meeting. Reports from local media said that protestors tried to sway the council away from passing the amendment, with public comment taking up approximately two hours of the meeting.
Casinos in Shreveport supported the amendment, claiming that they were being put on an uneven playing field when compared to those in neighboring Bossier City, which allows smoking in all of its casinos.
Shreveport put the ban into place on Aug. 8, 2020, but delayed implementation for gaming facilities until Aug. 1, 2021.
The change will go into effect on June 1, making Shreveport the first city in the state to repeal an anti-smoking law.