Penn National has indicated that anyone who smokes, chews tobacco or uses nicotine patches will not be hired for any of the 3,200 jobs at the Columbus or Toledo casinos. Rock Gaming will not prohibit smokers from working at the Cleveland or Cincinnati casinos, but will offer cash incentives to quit.

Twenty-nine states have laws on the books that prohibit companies from refusing to hire smokers. Ohio is not one of those states. The statewide indoor smoking ban also means that customers will have to step outside if they wish to smoke.