Venues
Which Venues Can Host a Nicotine Vending Machine?
One federal test applies to all of them. What differs is how each kind of venue tends to fail it.
A venue can host a nicotine vending machine only if nobody under 21 is present or permitted to enter at any time. Bars, nightclubs, lounges and private clubs can all meet that test. Each tends to fail it in a different way.
| Venue type | Usually | The usual reason it fails |
|---|---|---|
| Bars | The simplest fit | All-ages lunch or food service |
| Nightclubs | Easy to evidence | Daytime private events with under-21 guests |
| Lounges | A fit if 21+ end to end | Shared space with a restaurant or hotel lobby |
| Casinos | Needs an area-by-area review | Mixed-age property; property policy; jurisdiction |
| Private clubs | Easy to evidence | Member guests and family events |
By venue type
Bars
Where it goes, what it changes for bartenders, and the all-ages lunch problem.
Bars →Nightclubs
Peak hours, crowd flow, security and private events.
Nightclubs →Lounges
Keeping it out of the room's sightline, and the hotel-adjacency trap.
Lounges →Casinos
Why a 21+ gaming floor is not the same as an eligible property.
Casinos →Private clubs
Membership records help. Member guests are the complication.
Private clubs →
Common questions
What is the test?
Federal rules only allow tobacco-product vending in a facility where people under 21 are not present or permitted to enter at any time. State law can narrow it further: Arizona, for example, limits vending machines to bars.
Can a restaurant host one?
No. A venue that admits guests under 21 at any hour does not meet the federal test, however strict its evening door is.
Check your venue
A few minutes. No cost at any stage. You get a straight yes or no.