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Casino Windsor to Lay Off 300 Union Employees

Casino officials said Wednesday nearly 300 union workers will be laid off by Casino Windsor due to declining revenues caused by Ontario's new smoking ban.

The casino, which has nearly 4,000 employees, will lose 297 union workers over the next two weeks and immediately terminate 32 salaried employees, officials said, who also cited an unfavorable exchange rate and high gas prices for the decrease.

"This is a day that no one takes lightly. Layoffs or terminations are always a last resort," said Holly Ward, the casino's manager of corporate communications. "It's safe to say the business is softening right now. If revenue is declining, we can only wait for so long to react."

Casino officials declined to say how much business had dropped. Analysts predicted a smoking ban at Casino Windsor would cause the casino to lose business to Detroit's casinos, which allow smoking.

Teresa Roncon, a spokeswoman for the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. in Toronto, which owns Casino Windsor, said the low exchange rate has made Windsor less favorable to gamblers.

Under the current exchange rate, Americans receive $1.13 Canadian for every $1 American. In the past, the exchange has been as high as $1.68 Canadian, luring many Americans across the border.

The law, which went into effect May 31, bans smoking in all public facilities, including bingo halls, bars, restaurants, sporting venues, stores, office buildings and Casino Windsor.