The failure of a bill to ban smoking in public places throughout the state means the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center will still be on unequal footing for hosting the state pool and dart tournaments.

Though the bill, HB1237, was intended to protect people from second-hand smoke, it also would have protected the civic center, which will go smoke-free entirely by 2010, from market forces.

The city decided in 2006 to phase out smoking entirely in the facility, despite the potential loss of business if the tournaments decided to leave Rapid City.

Previously, only three civic center events allowed smoking: the state pool tournament, state dart tournament and the Cowboy Bar during the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo.

Smoking at the Cowboy Bar ended immediately. But the pool and dart tournaments' organizers were given three more years to comply; they will be included in the ban beginning in 2010.

About 4,000 people attended last month's dart tournament; about 5,000 pool players are anticipated for the state pool tourney, running March 12-16.

City officials worry that the smoking ban will cause the tournaments to leave Rapid City and stay permanently in Sioux Falls, where smoking is allowed at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel.

Brian Maliske, civic center general manager, said recently that he hasn't had a chance to sit down and talk with tournament organizers about future events, but he had hoped the state would take care of the smoking issue.

"Then, I don't even have to broach the issue," Maliske said.

Maliske said he simply wants fairness: Either allow smoking in every facility, or ban it in every facility.

"That's what I'm rooting for, is an equal playing field," he said.

Before the ban was approved, the civic center reported about $363,000 in gross revenue from concession sales at the Cowboy Bar and the two tournaments, which represented about one-sixth of the civic center's annual gross concession sales.

The potential economic impact on the city's hotels, restaurants and shops could be much greater if attendance drops because of the smoking ban.

Maliske said the Cowboy Bar experienced an 18 percent dip last year, the first year of the smoking ban, while concessions in the rest of the facility were up. He didn't have numbers available yet from this year but said the Cowboy Bar was down again by a small amount.

State tournament directors are split on whether they will be back. The pool tournament comes to the city each year, but the dart tournament alternates with Sioux Falls.

Britt Bruner said the state dart tournament will definitely come back to the civic center in two years, and he doesn't think smoking will be an issue. Players know the ban is coming, and the civic center was gracious enough to allow a couple of years to adjust to the idea.

"It's not going to be an issue for me," he said. "They take such good care of us here at the civic center. In fact, all of Rapid City takes great care of us. The players like to come out and spend time here. They're great hosts."

Bruner said the national dart tournament in Las Vegas changed to nonsmoking last year, and it did not have a major effect. He expects the same will be true for Rapid City.

"Who knows? We may find more players who don't smoke and haven't been playing because of the smoke. Some may not play because of it (the ban), but everybody's got choices to make," he said.

Lloyd Friedel, director of the state pool tournament, said it is too soon to say whether the pool tournament will be back next year but said future legislation may make the decision for the tournament.

"There's a lot of discussion in the state for everybody to go smoke-free," he said. "We hate to make any rash decisions now if everybody is smoke-free. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

Friedel said tournament officials have not decided one way or the other and will poll players before deciding. Obviously, smokers want to keep smoking, and non-smokers do not, he said.

"It's hard to read," he said. "It's still a tavern sport, and we would like to see it continue, just because it comes out of places that have smoking. We're just kind of staying neutral now, waiting to see if any legislation comes up in the next year or two."

Contact Scott Aust at 394-8415 or scott.aust@rapidcityjournal.com