The New Jersey Senate Health Committee recently approved a bill that would implement an Atlantic City casino smoking ban, according to an Associated Press report.
Atlantic City casino employees have worked for several years to put a smoking ban in place.
Indoor smoking has been banned in New Jersey since 2006. However, the current laws on the books make room for smoking in casinos and in simulcasting facilities, an allowance casino employees have pushed back against for more than three years.
Currently, smoking is allowed in Atlantic City’s casinos on 25% of the gaming floor. However, these spaces are not designed to contain smoke, causing it to waft into other areas of the casino.
New Jersey first revisited a possible casino-wide smoking ban after temporary bans during the Covid-19 pandemic were lifted in July 2021.
Following the decision to remove temporary bans, Atlantic City casino workers asked for permanent legislation that would prohibit smoking in casinos statewide.
Leaders on both sides of the issue voiced concerns regarding how a smoking ban could potentially affect the city’s casinos moving forward.
Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey President and CEO Christina Renna told the Associated Press that “while smoking is undoubtedly harmful, so, too, could be the layoffs she and executives from the casino industry warn could happen if smoking were banned.”
However, Nicola Vitola, a dealer at Borgata and leader of the movement to ban casino smoking shared her concerns on the impact that continued smoke exposure could have on the health of casino employees.
She commented, “Dealers are mere inches from players blowing smoke in our faces.”
New Jersey State Governor Phil Murphy said he will sign a nonsmoking bill if the current proposal is passed.
