A new bill introduced in Atlantic City could enable gamblers to continue smoking in the city’s casinos. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Bill to keep smoking

A new bill introduced in Atlantic City could keep gamblers smoking inside the city’s casinos.

The bill, introduced by New Jersey State Senator John Burzichelli on Monday, has arrived as legislation to ban smoking in casinos has started to gain traction in the state Senate. Any calls for a ban have met opposition from casinos and businesses.

Opponents of a flat-out ban have called for a bill that would allow indoor smoking in casinos, which Burzichelli’s aims to do. His bill would keep the current 25% smoking limit on the casino floor. However, it would limit the smoking areas to two instances: unenclosed areas at slot machines, which need to be at least 15 feet away from live dealers, and enclosed rooms with ventilation.

losing one casino means thousands of jobs lost”

Speaking on his bill, Burzichelli said: “It’s about what we can do to keep casinos open, and how do we get it right. Losing one casino means thousands of jobs lost.”

Latest move

According to the group Casino Employees Against Smoking’s Harmful Effects (CEASE), the “bill … will not decrease in any way the amount of exposure workers have to secondhand smoke.” They added that the only bill to gain enough support to pass would be one calling for a ban on indoor smoking.

choose between their paycheck and breathing in secondhand smoke”

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network is also urging lawmakers in New Jersey to reject the new bill. They argue lawmakers are forcing people who work in casinos “to choose between their paycheck and breathing in secondhand smoke.”

Before the pandemic shut casinos down, a bill to ban smoking in Atlantic City casinos was introduced in February 2020; however, it failed to get much of a hearing. Governor Phil Murphy even banned smoking in casinos during the pandemic; but this was lifted in July 2021. In December that same year, about two dozen casino workers protested outside the state capitol in Trenton, urging their elected officials to take action against smoking.

The value of smoking

A smoking ban in Atlantic City casinos could reduce casino revenue by around 11%, according to research from casinos themselves, also costing around 2,500 jobs.

The Casino Association of New Jersey, which commissioned the report from the Spectrum Gaming Group, an independent gambling research company, found that 21% of gamblers at Atlantic City casinos are smokers.