New York Lottery: Smoking ban foes plan shutdown of NY lottery gameA New York City-based group is calling on small business owners across the state to shut down their Quick Draw lottery games for a week to protest the state's smoking ban.
N-Y-C CLASH which stands for Citizens Lobby Against Smoker Harassment has called for the shutdown from October 23rd to the 29th.
The group is asking taverns and restaurants, bowling alleys, inns and fraternal lodges to shut off their Quick Draw machines during that period as a way to send a message to lawmakers in Albany.
Enacted in July 2003, the smoking ban affects bars, restaurants, offices and covered outdoor patios.
Several establishments have gone under because of lost business blamed on the law, including Jimmy Mac's, a popular Buffalo restaurant and bar that closed its doors on Monday after 23 years.
The last time tavern owners pulled the plug on Quick Draw was in May 2003, costing the state more than $200,000 in lost lottery sales.
