For the past four years, casino workers have been advocating to revoke an exemption in New Jersey’s clean air legislation that currently permits smoking in the state’s nine casinos. They argue that exposure to secondhand smoke has led to serious health issues among workers, including cancer and heart disease.
Governor Phil Murphy, a member of the Democratic Party, has indicated he would support a bill to ban smoking once it is presented to him. However, he has not made significant efforts to expedite its passage. His office was unresponsive to inquiries regarding this matter on Thursday.
A proposed law to end smoking within casinos has been stagnant in the state Legislature for years, with Democratic leaders not allowing it to progress to a full vote in either the Senate or Assembly.
Additionally, a lawsuit filed by casino employees in April is making its way through the judicial system at a slow pace, with a judge denying a request in August that would have prohibited smoking in these establishments.
This impasse has led to heightened frustration among casino employees who are seeking equal workplace protections that other New Jersey workers already enjoy. Sandy Smolen, a dealer at the Borgata casino for five years and a seasoned industry expert with four decades of experience, expressed her distress: “It’s unbearable when you have multiple people smoking around you. You can’t escape it, and you go home coughing something you didn’t have that morning.”
Elaine Rose, a regular casino visitor, shared her experience, stating, “As a player, I can walk into a casino for a couple of hours and leave with a severe case of bronchitis.”
The debate around smoking bans is not only contentious in Atlantic City casinos but also resonates in other states, where workers have raised similar health concerns over secondhand smoke exposure. Similar initiatives are underway in states like Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Virginia.
The Atlantic City casino sector, however, is against a smoking ban, arguing that it could lead to substantial revenue and job losses if smokers opt to visit alternate destinations. Advocates against smoking in casinos counter that numerous venues in other regions have successfully transitioned to smoke-free environments without suffering financial setbacks.
Another legislative proposal that would retain the current allowance of 25% of casino floors as smoking areas, while introducing additional restrictions, is also stalled in the Legislature. This alternative would permit smoking in designated unenclosed areas of the casino floor housing slot machines, provided they are located at least 15 feet (4.6 meters) away from table games that have live dealers. Furthermore, the legislation would allow casinos to create separate, well-ventilated smoking rooms with the condition that no worker is obligated to work in these designated areas against their will.
Ricky Foster, a supervisor-dealer at the Borgata for 21 years, highlighted the discontent among employees, saying, “We are exhausted from setting up GoFundMe campaigns for colleagues suffering from cancer and heart issues, and they’ve never smoked a day in their lives.”