Casino Workers Urge NJ Governor Candidates to Back Smoking Ban

A group of Atlantic City casino workers is stepping up its efforts to end smoking inside casinos. They are asking governor candidates Mikie Sherrill and Jack Ciattarelli to back a full ban on indoor smoking.

CEASE Presses Sherrill and Ciattarelli to Support Smoke-Free Casinos

The group, Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE), wants new laws to remove the exception that allows smoking on casino floors. Critics say this exception puts workers’ health at risk.

After the New Jersey primary election, CEASE wasted no time in contacting the Republican and Democratic nominees, reported The Press of Atlantic City. Pete Naccarelli, a Borgata dealer speaking for the group, expressed optimism about what is to come. He pointed out that several primary candidates had backed policies to make casinos smoke-free. Naccarelli hoped Sherrill and Ciattarelli would follow suit and promise to close what workers refer to as the “casino smoking loophole.”

Even though current Governor Phil Murphy says he would sign a smoking ban if lawmakers pass it, casino workers claim he has not pushed for the bill. In the past five years, CEASE has set up protests in different places, from Atlantic City’s Boardwalk to Trenton’s Statehouse, to keep lawmakers focused on this issue.

When asked about this new request, Ciattarelli’s team stressed a hands-off view. Spokesman Chris Russell said the candidate thinks casino bosses and worker unions should sort this out themselves. He added that if workers refuse to work where smoking is allowed, casinos would have to change.

Sherrill’s team, on the other hand, said they would comment later in the day.

Smoking Ban Keeps Facing Legislative Gridlock Amid Industry Pushback

The smoking debate remains stuck in the Legislature, even though a Senate committee pushed forward a ban over 18 months ago. A middle-ground proposal still up for debate, would allow smoking in small areas of the casino floor and in rooms with special ventilation, as long as no worker is made to work there.

Big names in the industry do not want a total ban, saying it could lead to job cuts and less money coming in. A study from 2022, which the Casino Association of New Jersey asked for, said a ban would hurt finances. However, the same group that did the research, Spectrum Gaming Group said that over time, smoking rules do not hit the bottom line as hard as they used to.

At the same time, CEASE has taken the state to court, trying to strike down casino exemptions under New Jersey’s clean air laws. This lawsuit is still ongoing.

As the race for governor intensifies, casino employees are set on getting their point across: Atlantic City’s gambling business should not gamble with people’s health.