Return of smoking lounge at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino sparks mixed reaction

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- In a post shared on social media Wednesday, March 29, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino announced that guests will soon be allowed to smoke again in one of their lounges.

The casino says as of Saturday, April 1, Solstice Lounge will become a smoking lounge.

The announcement is prompting mixed reaction from people on social media, with many calling it a "bad decision," while others say people should be granted the choice. 

No smoking has been allowed inside the building since pandemic precautions were implemented.

In May of 2021, the American Lung Association commended Potawatomi for keeping the casino smoke-free after lifting many other Covid-19 protocols put in place.

Their statement read, in part:

“According to Americans for Nonsmokers Rights, nearly 1,100 gaming properties across the country have implemented policies prohibiting smoking indoors. As sovereign nations, casinos operated by tribes in Wisconsin were not included in the state’s 2010 smokefree workplace law but are free to implement policies prohibiting smoking indoors if they choose. We again applaud the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe for making this choice, which will be good for the health of Wisconsinites and good for business.”