Casino Smoking Ban Debate in Atlantic City Continues

New Jersey is among the states that currently permit indoor smoking in casinos. While this is achieved through a loophole in the state’s Smoke-Free Air Act from 2006, efforts to eliminate indoor smoking at casinos have been ongoing for two decades. The topic was once again up for discussion during a recent debate with one lawmaker warning that the elimination of smoking may result in the loss of thousands of workplaces.

Thousands of Workplaces Are at Risk If a Careless Smoking Ban Is Enforced

On Friday, the Southern New Jersey Development Council’s 42nd annual Sound Off for South Jersey Legislative Conference took place at Resorts Casino Hotel. A number of hot topics were discussed during the important event, including casino indoor smoking.

During one of the panels, the New Jersey Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald spoke about the ongoing debate and efforts to ban smoking in casinos. “You are seeing the debate. It’s a very hard debate for us — around smoking cessation in casinos,” he explained.

The Assembly Majority Leader predicted that the debated casino indoor smoking ban may have a detrimental effect on the state’s gambling industry. Greenwald supported the idea of dealing with the issue in a comprehensive way in order to protect the jobs of thousands of workers. He estimated that a careless approach may result in losses of 3,500 workplaces across Atlantic City.

“If New Jersey independently acts and eliminates smoking and we don’t act intelligently in how we do that, 3,500 employees in this city will lose their jobs.“

New Jersey Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald

One of the unions in Atlantic City, Unite Here Local 54, is against the highly debated smoking ban. Last year, the Union’s secretary-treasurer, Donna DeCaprio, warned that a smoking ban can have dire consequences.

Anti-smoking Groups Quickly Respond

The impact of a casino smoking ban in Atlantic City has long been debated. Understandably, the sector fears a ban may impact its revenues. However, not everyone agrees that casinos should be permitted to allow indoor smoking, putting the health of their visitors and employees at risk.

Dan Vicente, the director for United Auto Workers’ Region 9, argued he made numerous attempts to discuss the issue with Greenwald without any success. The director, quoted by Casino.org, said that if the Majority Leader really wanted to see the issue progress, he would “be reaching out to the workers, health groups, and unions fighting for this.” Vincente added: “We welcome the opportunity to meet with him directly and hear why he thinks our health should take a backseat to unfounded economic concerns.”

During the last legislative session, a proposal that called to ban indoor smoking received wide support. Yet, Greenwald prevented the proposal from picking up further speed after it was not put up for voting. This was precisely the concern of Pete Naccarelli, a dealer at the Borgata and a co-founder of Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE).

Naccarelli argued that the time has come for the Majority Leader to “stop standing in the way of the bipartisan bill that has broad support that would finally close the casino smoking loophole and actually attract more visitors to Atlantic City who stay away today because of the smoke.”