Choctaw Durant Completes Renovation, Claims Title of Largest Non-Smoking Casino Floor in America

^{The lights are on and the air is clear at Choctaw Durant, which now holds the title of largest non-smoking gaming floor in the United States. (Photo: Florin Seitan / Alamy)}

Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant can now say it has the largest non-smoking casino area in the entire United States. The resort announced the completion of renovations to its Grand Casino on Wednesday, including converting the casino floor to an entirely non-smoking area.

The Grand Casino, combined with the Oklahoma resort’s Sky Tower, now has a gaming floor featuring 5,400 slot machines and 82 table games, which the resort says tops any smoke-free casino in the country.

Smokers Out of Modernized Grand Casino

Choctaw Durant began renovations to its Grand Casino in January 2026. The upgrades were implemented in six phases, including the addition of new carpet, lighting, and walkways to modernize the casino's appearance.

Jeff Penz, senior director of gaming and hospitality for Choctaw Durant, told Indian Gaming that the renovations were designed to enhance the aesthetics and overall guest experience for both smoking and non-smoking players.

“The updates to the Grand Casino not only elevate the look and feel of the area, but also enhance the environment for our guests,” Penz said. “We are proud to offer both non-smoking and smoking gaming floors that feature a variety of games, bars, and restaurants for our guests to enjoy. At [Choctaw Durant], we strive to offer high-quality options for everyone.”

As Penz alluded to, smoking hasn't been eliminated from the resort entirely. Guests can still smoke inside the Link Casino, which houses 1,700 slots, 22 table games, and a high-limit area, as well as an outdoor veranda located by the Choctaw Grand Theater. Still, the non-smoking area now makes up the vast majority of gaming space at Choctaw Durant. 

Smoking Remains a Fiery Debate Across Casino Industry

The move from Choctaw Durant comes at a time when workers, health officials, and casino operators are debating how to handle smoking at casinos all over the country.

Nowhere has this fight been more pointed than in New Jersey, where Atlantic City casinos continue to allow smoking on their gaming floors thanks to an exemption included in the state’s 2006 Smoke-Free Air Act. That battle remains ongoing, with the New Jersey Supreme Court currently considering constitutional questions related to that exemption.

Outside of the courtroom, casino workers expressed significant concern about the health harms of allowing smoking in their workplaces. Many operators have countered, arguing that removing smoking would reduce revenue at casino resorts and ultimately cost jobs.

Both sides have cited studies and historical data to support their cases, but more recent research has generally favored smoke-free environments. That seems to have guided Choctaw Durant’s upgrades as well.

Choctaw Durant Resort Marketing Director Thomas O’Sullivan told KTEN that they looked to data insights to decide to expand their smoke-free areas.

“Our decision to go non-smoking is really driven by what we see in the data,” O'Sullivan said. “More people are looking for that non-smoking environment for the comfort and feasibility of being in those spaces for an extended time.”

He reiterated that the casino does still have some smoking areas for those who prefer to have a puff while they play. But his comments also suggested that he expects the move to non-smoking gaming floors to be a trend that will continue in the future.

“Really, this is just us making sure that we’re ready and poised for the future of gaming and entertainment,” O’Sullivan said.