About two-thirds of bars and restaurant bar areas have already gone smoke-free as the businesses prepare for a Jan. 1, 2009 implementation of a statewide anti-smoking law, the Associated Press reported July 26.

The law that state legislators adopted in 2007 will make smoking illegal in Oregon bars, restaurant bar areas, bowling alleys and bingo halls next year. Many owners of these establishments have said their customers generally are responding well to the ban, with the owner of a Salem sports bar saying some losses of customers have been offset by gaining new ones.

The ban also has caught the attention of officials with the Oregon Lottery, who worry about the impact it could have on activity at some of the state's 12,000 video gambling terminals in bars and other retail establishments. Lottery spokesman Chuck Baumann said officials are exploring new games and terminal locations to keep revenues healthy. "You'll be seeing more advertising for video lottery in the coming year," he said.

A spokesman for the Oregon Restaurant Association said data from Canadian provinces that banned smoking in bars should have Oregon officials anticipating about a 10 percent decline in video gambling activity. The association did not take a position on the 2007 legislation, despite its firm stance against similar bills previously.