Queen’s Wharf, Star Gold Coast to be smoke-free by 2023
Years after other venues across the country kicked the habit, the owner of two major casinos in Queensland have announced a major change is coming by 2023.
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The owner of the major $3.6 billion casino project in Brisbane’s CBD has announced smoking indoors will be outright banned from the premises when it opens in 2022.
Star Entertainment Group, which is also the owner of Treasury Casino and Star Casinos on the Gold Coast and in Sydney, has been exempted from anti-smoking legislation in both Queensland and New South Wales.
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Most venues in both states are prohibited from allowing designated indoor smoking areas, but casinos have been allowed to operate so-called “premium gaming rooms.”
In an announcement Thursday morning, Star chief executive Matt Bekier said the new $3.6bn Queen’s Wharf will do away with designated smoking areas.
Mr Bekier also said the Gold Coast and Sydney venues would transition to smoke-free indoors over the same period.
“We are seeing fewer and fewer customers wanting to smoke indoors,” he said.
“More and more of our guests are demanding an entirely smoke-free indoor environment and over several years we have been gradually reducing the smoking options in our premium gaming areas.”
Only 11 per cent of Australians aged over 14 were daily smokers, Mr Bekier said.
“We will cease to operate premium gaming rooms with smoking facilities after a transition period to redesign our existing properties,” he said.
When complete, Queen’s Wharf will include four hotels, 50 bars, restaurants and cafes as well as retail space.
A bridge linking to South Bank is also being built as part of the project.
Both the Heart Foundation and Cancer Council have welcomed Star’s announcement.
“We have worked with The Star Entertainment Group in coming to this decision, and applaud them for recognising the move in community expectations in regard to smoking and their desire for smoke-free indoor environments,” Heart Foundation chief executive John Kelly said.
“The decision by The Star Entertainment Group sets a powerful precedent for other venues that still operate within the legal loopholes that allow indoor smoking.”
“Casinos are the only remaining indoor venues in Australia where legal exemptions permit indoor smoking, putting staff and visitors’ health at risk,” said Cancer Council of Queensland chief executive Chris McMillan.
“Having worked with The Star Entertainment Group on this issue, we welcome their voluntary commitment to make their gaming areas smoke free and call on other casino operators to follow suit.”