Atlantic City Casinos Resume Smoking after Four-Year Ban on July 4th
In Atlantic City, New Jersey, a movement is gaining traction to make the city's casinos smoke-free. Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE), a coalition of casino workers, is urging the state's lawmakers to close the loophole in the Clean Indoor Act that currently permits smoking inside the casinos.
The call for change is rooted in the health benefits experienced during the temporary indoor smoking ban that was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ban, which expired on July 4, 2021, significantly improved the health and quality of life of casino workers, according to Pete Naccarelli, a co-founder of CEASE. The coalition argues that a permanent smoking ban would lead to similar improvements[1][2].
Despite the evident support for a smoke-free environment, as of August 2025, smoking is still permitted in all nine Atlantic City casinos[1]. Governor Phil Murphy has expressed his intent to sign a bill that would force the casinos to become smoke-free, but the legislative change has yet to be enacted[4][5].
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Pennsylvania, the 17 brick-and-mortar casinos combined for a gross gaming revenue of $3.38 billion in 2021. Notably, Parx, a smoke-free casino, led in terms of revenue, generating nearly 17% of the state's total with $569.8 million[3].
CEASE, a grassroots coalition of table game dealers, slot attendants, and other resort workers, continues to advocate for a smoke-free workplace. The group claims that its members continue to be "needlessly exposed to secondhand smoke." It is important to note that the law does not require separate ventilation systems for the smoking area[1].
The potential impact of a smoking ban on casino revenue remains a topic of debate. Various studies have reached differing conclusions, with some suggesting that revenue may decrease, potentially leading to job layoffs, while others argue otherwise[6].
Atlantic City casinos, however, have expressed concerns about the potential financial implications of a complete smoking ban. They argue that such a move could lead to reduced revenue and potential job losses[7].
As the push for a smoke-free Atlantic City continues, it remains to be seen whether the New Jersey Legislature will take action and amend the state's Smoke-Free Air Act to restrict smoking on gaming floors. The future of smoking in Atlantic City casinos hangs in the balance.
[1] https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/atlantic-city-casinos-remain-smoke-filled-as-push-for-smoke-free-environment-continues/article_5c8d66c6-fcb1-11eb-b666-6b0c9c684362.html [2] https://www.nj.com/opinion/2021/03/opinion-nj-casinos-should-stay-smoke-free-beyond-pandemic.html [3] https://www.pennlive.com/business/2022/01/parx-casino-leads-pennsylvania-casinos-in-gross-gaming-revenue-in-2021.html [4] https://www.nj.com/politics/2022/01/nj-casinos-could-go-smoke-free-but-lawmakers-have-yet-to-act.html [5] https://www.nj.com/politics/2021/11/nj-casinos-could-go-smoke-free-but-lawmakers-have-yet-to-act.html [6] https://www.npr.org/2019/07/22/743818472/smoke-free-casinos-could-be-a-slippery-slope-or-a-breath-of-fresh-air [7] https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/atlantic-city-casinos-remain-smoke-filled-as-push-for-smoke-free-environment-continues/article_5c8d66c6-fcb1-11eb-b666-6b0c9c684362.html
- The coalition of casino workers, Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE), is urging New Jersey lawmakers to close the loophole in the Clean Indoor Act, permitting smoking inside Atlantic City casinos.
- Pete Naccarelli, a co-founder of CEASE, claims that the temporary indoor smoking ban during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly improved the health and quality of life of casino workers.
- governor Phil Murphy has expressed his intent to sign a bill that would force the casinos to become smoke-free, but the legislative change has yet to be enacted.
- In neighbouring Pennsylvania, Parx, a smoke-free casino, led in terms of revenue, generating nearly 17% of the state's total in 2021.
- The group CEASE continues to advocate for a smoke-free workplace, claiming that its members continue to be "needlessly exposed to secondhand smoke."
- The potential impact of a smoking ban on casino revenue remains a topic of debate, with some suggesting revenue may decrease, potentially leading to job layoffs, while others argue otherwise.
- Atlantic City casinos have expressed concerns about the potential financial implications of a complete smoking ban, arguing that it could lead to reduced revenue and potential job losses.
- It remains to be seen whether the New Jersey Legislature will take action and amend the state's Smoke-Free Air Act to restrict smoking on gaming floors.
- Various studies have reached differing conclusions about the revenue impact of smoke-free casinos.
- The future of smoking in Atlantic City casinos hangs in the balance, as the push for a smoke-free environment continues.
