Star-Ledger Editorial Board Expresses Support for Casino Smoking Ban


Posted on: October 24, 2023, 10:03h. 

Last updated on: October 24, 2023, 10:03h.

The odds are good that the nine casinos in Atlantic City will offer smoke-free gambling in the future, according to the Star-Ledger Editorial Board. The board believes this is a positive development for the industry.

Star-Ledger Atlantic City casino smoking
New Jersey’s Star-Ledger says casinos like Park MGM in Las Vegas that have gone fully smoke-free are competing just fine with casinos that allow indoor smoking. Atlantic City’s nine casinos can allocate a quarter of their gaming floors for tobacco use. (Image: MGM Resorts International)

As the most circulated newspaper in New Jersey, the opinions expressed by the Star-Ledger Editorial Board carry weight. Legislation to ban smoking in Atlantic City casinos, which has been stalled for over three years, is expected to be taken up by lawmakers.

The most recent versions of the bills, Assembly Bill 2151 and Senate Bill 264, aim to make the gaming floors of Atlantic City casinos completely smoke-free. Currently, these facilities can designate up to 25% of their floors for indoor tobacco use.

Democratic leadership has reportedly delayed the casino smoking legislation until after the November elections. With all 120 seats on the ballot, party leaders believe avoiding the issue until after the elections will increase their chances of retaining majority control.

The bills already have enough support through cosponsors to move forward, potentially reaching Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk. While Murphy is in favor of a smoking ban, he has stated that he cannot enact it singlehandedly.

The Star-Ledger Editorial Board believes that the new makeup of the Legislature will support the anti-smoking bills.

A bipartisan bill that will ban smoking in New Jersey’s casinos will finally get a full vote in the Senate during the lame duck legislative session, and we know we can speak for every croupier, cashier, cocktail server, custodian, and pit clerk when we issue the following statement: Hallelujah,” the op-ed read.

The Smoke-Free Air Act passed in 2006 granted an exemption to Atlantic City casinos, allowing them to permit tobacco use on a quarter of their gaming floors. However, 17 years later, casino staff are still exposed to harmful secondhand smoke.

According to the CDC, designated smoking sections still pose a health risk to individuals in supposedly smoke-free areas. The agency has found hazardous levels of Particulate Matter (PM) in non-smoking sections of casinos.

“The only way to protect people from secondhand smoke exposure is to prohibit smoking in all indoor areas,” concluded Michael Tynan, policy team lead of the CDC Office on Smoking & Health.

Long Overdue

New Jersey Sens. Joe Vitale (D-Woodbridge) and Shirley Turner (D-Ewing) are the main sponsors of SB264. Vitale is optimistic that the bill will pass after the election, but he acknowledges that the delay by his own party has further jeopardized health. Vitale points out that the dangers of secondhand smoke have been known for years, but no action has been taken.

In the time that has passed, many employees have become seriously ill, and some have died as a result of the secondhand smoke that pervades their workplace. Sadly, the industry couldn’t care less, and uses claims that falsely predict economic impact. Pathetic, but true,” Vitale said.

The Casino Association of New Jersey, the trade group representing the nine casinos in Trenton, conducted a study last year showing that a smoking ban would severely impact Atlantic City’s economy. Third-party researchers concluded that gaming revenue could drop by about 11% and result in up to 2,500 job losses.

“There will be the predictable whining from industry noisemakers about how jobs and profits could be imperiled by the ban, which they say would inspire smokers to head out of state or switch to online gaming,” the Star-Ledger op-ed continued. “The problem is that no proof exists of such things happening in the other 22 other states (including New York and Delaware) that have stamped out the practice.

“The most recent study was conducted in July 2022 by Las Vegas-based C3 Gaming, which found that casinos that chose to go smoke-free actually raked in more profits. Conclusion: Most gamblers like to breathe,” the editorial concluded.



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