Editor
The newly upgraded Maverick poker room at Bally’s Lincoln is open for business, but smoking is on the way out. State lawmakers in Rhode Island moved forward with legislation that includes casinos in new ordinances prohibiting smoking in public places. Rep. V. Susan Sosnowski sponsored the bill, which removes a carve-out for casinos that exempted them from smoke-free workplace requirements.
Although most US casinos still allow smoking, most poker rooms—even those in Las Vegas—have transitioned away from it. The Bally’s Lincoln poker room has been an exception, but the new law will force that to change.
It’s not a total ban as the proposal does allow for casinos to offer smoking lounges for guests – an enclosed space with proper ventilation to prevent smoke from smoke-free spaces.
“Everyone deserves to breathe clean air in the workplace,” said Sosnowski, in a press release. “Yes, we want a casino that’s making money because we depend on that revenue; but we want our workers to be strong, healthy and vibrant as they’re making money for our state.”
Sosnowski’s ban is set to take effect on July 1, 2027, a delay reportedly pushed for by Bally’s. Technically, the bill still needs Governor Dan McKee’s signature to become law, but a veto isn’t anticipated.
Sosnowski has been an elected Rhode Island official since 1996 and was the 2005 Senate sponsor of the Public Health and Workplace Safety Act that banned smoking in most public places. She has a history of voting for public safety and environmental protection throughout her career.
Smoke-Reduction Measures Already Underway at Bally’s Lincoln
Bally’s Corporation has two casinos in the state and has already made strides to reduce smoking at the Lincoln property. It even brands itself as “Smoke-Free Twin River Casino Resort” in the title of its website, as it appears in Google search results. (Twin River was the name of the Rhode Island casinos and their owner before it acquired Bally’s Atlantic City and the rights to the Bally’s name in 2020.)
The company announced in 2024 that the second floor of Twin Rivers and an expanded gaming section on the first floor were non-smoking. The Blackstone Bar and the West & South entrances are also smoke-free.
When reached for comment, a representative for Bally’s said, “We appreciate the thoughtful review Senate and House Leadership provided on the issue of smoking at our two Rhode Island casinos, and are grateful that a compromise has been reached that will allow us to accommodate our smoking patrons. As we testified during the legislative process, we are concerned about the potential loss of revenue and jobs to the state from a total smoking ban. Confining smoking to an existing smoking lounge at our Lincoln venue and allowing for a delayed transition away from smoking on the gaming floor will hopefully mitigate a portion of that anticipated revenue loss to the state.”
Maverick Poker Room Open for Business
The Twin Rivers property has a gaming floor with 22 tables and over 500 slot machines.
The poker room closed down during the COVID-19 pandemic and remained closed for years. However, in 2024, Bally’s announced major upgrades to the newly reopened room in partnership with Maverick Gaming.
Three weeks ago, Bally’s offered a sneak peek in an Instagram post and teased that the improvements were nearly complete. A Bally’s representative confirmed to PokerScout today that the new room is “up and running.”
