CRIPPLE CREEK, Colo. -- The managers of three Cripple Creek casinos ticketed for violating the state's smoking ban were summoned to court Thursday.

One of them, the manager of the Midnight Rose, pleaded not guilty.

The managers of the Double Eagle and Bronco Billy's did not initially show up but had asked through their attorneys for pre-trial conferences.

"It's exactly what we expected," said Todd Fred, co-general manager of the nearby Wild Horse casino. "They have the right to come in and say they're not guilty and drag this out as long as they can."

Fred said he doesn't agree with the smoking ban, but said it is the law and should be followed.

"The city of Cripple Creek and the casinos are good friends," said City Administrator Bill McPherson. "What's good for the casinos is good for Cripple Creek. However, there is the law. It appears there is some violation of the law. Of course, we support the law."

"The casinos need to accept the fact that this law applies to them too," said Stephanie Steinberg of Smoke Free Gaming of Colorado. "They operate as casinos. For goodness sakes, people are smoking at the slot machines, they're not smoking in any type of resemblance of what a cigar bar would actually be."

Legislators passed an indoor smoking ban in 2006 that had originally exempted casinos, along with cigar bars and smoking lounges at Denver International Airport. The ban was extended to casinos last January.

To qualify for an exemption as a cigar bar, a business must show that at least 5 percent or $50,000 of its revenue comes from the sale of tobacco products and from renting on site humidors to customers during the year, although the deadline to do so ended in 2005.

A fourth casino, The Gold Rush, was ticketed on July 12 for allowing smoking and stopped the practice. Its court date has been set for Sept. 29.