Published on: September 19, 2025, 10:45h.
Updated on: September 19, 2025, 10:58h.
- Atlantic City casinos experienced a remarkable summer
- Revenue from in-person gambling reached its highest level in years
- Casino employees advocate for a ban on indoor smoking
Atlantic City has concluded its most successful summer in over a decade. Casino employees aiming for a healthier indoor environment argue that this success indicates that the gaming sector could thrive even without indoor smoking.
Casino.org disclosed this week that the total in-person gaming revenue from the nine casinos reached $855 million during the months of June, July, and August, marking a 5.5% increase compared to summer 2024.
Workers advocating for stricter smoke-free policies argue that the impressive summer revenue reflects that prohibiting smoking won’t negatively impact the state’s gaming sector.
“The casino industry has consistently claimed that they can’t adapt their policies due to the ‘delicate’ nature of the business,” stated Pete Naccarelli, a veteran dealer in Atlantic City and co-founder of Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE).
“Despite the mounting evidence showing that banning smoking would not harm the industry, Atlantic City casinos continue to resist, claiming they cannot bear any potential loss. Yet, it is evident that these establishments are profiting sufficiently to withstand any adjustments. While executives rake in millions, workers endure health problems caused by hazardous secondhand smoke just to make ends meet. Isn’t that unjust?” Naccarelli inquired.
Conflicting Research
The casino sector in Atlantic City argues that prohibiting smoking would negatively affect gross gaming revenue (GGR). With smoking still permitted in most Philadelphia casinos, local officials assert that players who want to smoke while gaming may choose to head to Pennsylvania instead.
The Casino Association of New Jersey, referencing a 2022 study it funded through Spectrum Gaming, claims that a smoking ban could result in annual GGR losses ranging from 4.2% to 10.9%, which could result in the loss of up to 2,512 jobs in the casino sector.
Contrarily, studies conducted on behalf of anti-smoking groups have indicated less significant impacts, particularly as smoking rates in the United States are continuously declining.
In 2022, C3 Gaming, a now-defunct consulting entity, noted that “data from various jurisdictions clearly shows that banning smoking does not trigger substantial declines in gaming revenue.”
This may not hold true for Atlantic City, as smokers from Delaware, Maryland, and New York flock to casinos there due to restrictions in their home states.
Atlantic City Thriving, For the Moment
The casinos in Atlantic City are performing well, buoyed by a resurgence in in-person gambling and a steady rise in iGaming. However, their future could be jeopardized by the emergence of new casinos in downstate New York.
By the end of this year, three new casinos are anticipated to acquire licenses in the New York City area, which serves as a significant market for Atlantic City.
Similar to the four Upstate New York commercial casinos, downstate facilities will enforce a ban on indoor smoking. Six bids are currently under consideration for licenses, focusing on locations such as Manhattan (1 bid), Brooklyn (1), Queens (2), the Bronx (1), and Westchester County (1).