Atlantic City Casinos to Welcome Back Smokers Next Month

Posted on: May 20, 2021, 08:40h.

Last updated on: July 6, 2021, 04:25h.

Devin O'Connor Read More

Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Atlantic City casinos have been free of indoor smoke for more than 14 months. But come June, gamblers will be allowed to light back up.

Atlantic City casinos smoking New Jersey — Cigarettes stubbed out in an ashtray above. Casinos in Atlantic City are set to resume allowing indoor smoking next month once New Jersey further lifts COVID-19 health restrictions. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s (D) COVID-19 public health emergency is set to expire next month. Unless the Democratic governor — who is one of only two governors in the country facing reelection in the fall — extends the directive, casino smoking will be permitted to resume.

The coronavirus crisis resulted in more than 1,100 casinos in the US temporarily halting indoor smoking. Anti-smoking advocates have pounced, calling on lawmakers and casino companies to make the tentative ban permanent.

The Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights have repeatedly issued releases highlighting the strong return of gross gaming revenues (GGR) since states began lifting COVID-19 restrictions.

Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland have each posted all-time record monthly gaming revenue highs in 2021. And the American Gaming Association reports that commercial GGR in Q1 of this year totaled more than $11.1 billion — a record three-month period.

“Smoke-free casinos are good for business because guests want clean air,” the advocacy argues.

Smoking Ban Could Impact Business

In New Jersey, the second-most powerful Democrat says now isn’t the time to push a permanent indoor smoking ban on casinos.

It’s an industry that’s struggling quite a bit,” Senate President Steve Sweeney (D) told Bloomberg this week.

“The argument before was that you’re going to chase away a percentage of their business, and nobody’s been able to disburse that thought process,” Sweeney continued.

The Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ), which lobbies lawmakers in the Trenton capital on behalf of the nine casinos in Atlantic City, deeply opposes eliminating tobacco smoke on gaming floors.

A smoking ban would have a significant adverse effect on Atlantic City, resulting in a decline in customers, which would cause job loss and ultimately, a decline in tax revenue that benefits the state and local economy, as well as New Jersey seniors and persons with disabilities,” the association said in a statement.

CANJ says gaming revenue numbers can be misleading due to the ongoing surge in iGaming and sports betting. Brick-and-mortar GGR plunged nearly 44 percent last year, while revenue from internet play more than doubled.

Land-based gaming is far more profitable for casinos than online. Atlantic City casinos share their online revenue with their third-party interactive providers, and also make money on physical gamblers through food and beverage, entertainment, and hotel stays.

Future Consideration

Some lawmakers in New Jersey say it’s only a matter of time before cigarettes are permanently extinguished inside Atlantic City casinos.

New Jersey Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), the chairman of the Senate Health Committee, has been advocating for a full smoking ban for years.

It doesn’t make sense that it’s not been banned,” Vitale stated.

Vitale is one of three cosponsors of recently introduced legislation that would close the indoor smoking loophole afforded to casinos in the state’s Smoke-Free Air Act of 2006.

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Arthur Fishman June 28, 2021

I think people go to casinos to, smoke, gamble, drink alcohol, have sex and do everything they cannot do in their houses. I think Casinos should have a right to make large profits! They should charge smokers a smokers profit for the cost of extra health insurance for the workers in the casino. Also a charge for the cost of ventilation, so the carcinogin smoke is ventialted out of the casino, also the cost of future cleaning and fumigating the stink from the tobacco. As to drinking, well that is regulated and the more gamblers drink, the less they win; so the casino gets a GOOD Return; There ought to be more beds next to the slots and the crap table; maybe the Casino, should have a special crap play, so that as many as who win, can have sex on the crap table.
johnmcdonald June 17, 2021

I went to AC for the first time since the Covid virus.I went with my brother,who is not a smoker,I am.When we we driving home ,we compared notes. he earned 800 more tier points than I did.So because Im a geek, I startad to do the math.HE and I both risk about $1.50 / spin,@ approx. a spin every 5 seconds or 12 spins a minute, thats 18n$$ a minute or$720 /hr,I probably spent an hour and a half outside smoking.That means I risked$1000 less than if I smoked inside.If just 500 people did that the casino would loose$500,000 /night
SHEILA June 16, 2021

Smoking should be on a separate floor or in a completely closed separate room- such as an event room. Players and employees that want to smoke can be accommodated, but the casino is no longer forcing non-smoking employees or non-smoking players to be around it. You cannot just put in ‘sections.’ It is very obvious that the smoke drifts into the non-smoking sections. Also, the non-smokers know very well that their hair and clothes reek of smoke when they go back to their room. A non-smoker can not even re-wear a pair of jeans or a jacket without smelling of it. the casino should also put smoke alarms in their public bathrooms. People who smoke in there are causing a fire hazard on top of the fact that it’s gross. The casino needs to be fair to both sides-accommodating ALL of their guests as well as ALL of their employees. You can not make it a pre-requisite for the job: ‘willing to take a higher chance on getting asthma, bronchitis or lung cancer’.’ Second-hand smoke causes their employees to get sick more often, lose more days of work and go to the doctor or hospital more often-all of which causes the casinos costs to rise-both for the work days lost and the higher health insurance rates.
Cindy June 13, 2021

Good. People should be able to smoke at casinos. Non smokers can stay in their own section.
THERESA JENNINGS June 11, 2021

Dear Lady...ZEE VEE... I was just stating my opinion.... I wasn't asking anyone else to change their point of view... and yes I stand by what I said... DONT Gamble if you dont like smoke... There are alot of things I dont do because I dont want to be around it... EVERYone has a choice.... some people trying to make decisions for other people is not rite.... It is a legal product and the fact you get all the benefits of the taxes we pay on the product and aren't suppose to do it anywhere really isn't fair... by all means see if you can make tobacco illegal than I get it... but until that happens let the smoking continue. It is the same thing about the vaccines... If someone feels they should get it then they should but what you shouldnt do it try to make someone who doesnt want it feel quilty about their decision.