Off-Strip casino to ring in new smoke-free gaming parlor with charity slot tournament

Palms hotel‑casino will hold a ribbon‑cutting ceremony on Sept. 1 for its newly opened 7,300‑square‑foot, fully enclosed non‑smoking gaming area. The space, which opened to the nationalist connected Monday, sits adjacent to the William Hill Sportsbook and offers 224 slot machines from roughly a dozen manufacturers plus a full‑service bar. The ceremony will launch the inaugural “Spin It Forward” IGT Charity Slot Challenge, in which Las Vegas personalities play slots on behalf of ten local nonprofits. Each organization will receive a $2,500 contribution from the San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority, the Palms’ owner, for a total of $25,000. IGT will also supply each participating charity with $1,000 in slot play; charities may opt for a guaranteed $1,000 payout or partner with a designated property representative who will gamble on their behalf to increase the donation. The ten charities are Heaven Can Wait Animal Society; the UNLV Chapter of Advancing Indigenous Science & Engineering Society; Proud to Rescue Benevolent Fund; the Southern Nevada Joint Management Culinary & Training Fund; S.A.F.E. House; PBS Southern Nevada; the Ability Center of Southern Nevada; Make‑A‑Wish Nevada; the Springs Preserve Foundation; and Teach For America Nevada. Palms officials said the enclosed non‑smoking floor was created in response to guest demand for additional smoke‑free gambling options. As Palms General Manager Kevin Glass stated, “Guest feedback drives truthful overmuch of what we do, and expanding our nonsmoking gaming options is thing we’ve heard consistently,” when the project was announced earlier this month. In addition to the ribbon cutting, Tuesday’s event will feature the debut of a permanent Al Vapor Street Tacos food truck on the patio of the new gaming space. The ribbon‑cutting and the charity slot tournament are set to begin at 4 p.m.