The ongoing issue of casino smoking was prominently addressed on Friday at the Southern New Jersey Development Council’s 42nd Annual Sound Off for South Jersey Legislative Conference, held at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. Comments from a high-ranking Democratic lawmaker on the subject drew a sharp response from advocates pushing to close the indoor smoking loophole that casinos have exploited since the enactment of New Jersey’s 2006 Smoke-Free Air Act.
New Jersey Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-Voorhees) participated in a panel at the conference along with several of his Democratic colleagues. While a variety of topics were debated, the controversy around casino smoking took center stage, particularly given the venue in the heart of Atlantic City.
“You are seeing the debate. It’s a very hard debate for us,” Greenwald remarked regarding casino smoking. “If New Jersey acts independently and eliminates smoking, and we don’t act intelligently in how we do that, 3,500 employees in this city will lose their jobs.” Greenwald pointed to employment projections produced by the casino industry, which suggest that a smoking ban would severely impact their operations and give a competitive edge to casinos in nearby Philadelphia, where smoking is permitted on most gaming floors.
However, Greenwald’s remarks, which appeared to prioritize jobs over the health of casino workers exposed to secondhand smoke, sparked a swift response from CEASE (Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects). This grassroots coalition is actively lobbying state lawmakers to mandate smoke-free conditions in casinos. According to CEASE, campaign finance records indicate that Greenwald has received substantial contributions from major tobacco companies, including Philip Morris. Consequently, Greenwald has been accused of stalling legislation that had amassed sufficient support from cosponsors to terminate the allowance for up to 25% of a casino’s gaming floor to be designated for smoking.
Greenwald has suggested a middle ground—restricting smoking to fully enclosed areas with separate ventilation systems where only volunteer employees would staff.
“It’s time for the majority leader to stop standing in the way of the bipartisan bill that has broad support that would finally close the casino smoking loophole and actually attract more visitors to Atlantic City who stay away today because of the smoke,” said CEASE co-founder and longtime Borgata dealer Pete Naccarelli.
Dan Vicente, the United Auto Workers Region 9 Director, whose union represents Atlantic City table game dealers, added his frustration. “If Majority Leader Greenwald wants to make progress on this issue, he would be reaching out to the workers, health groups, and unions fighting for this. We welcome the opportunity to meet with him directly and hear why he thinks our health should take a backseat to unfounded economic concerns,” Vicente stated.
On the other hand, Unite Here Local 54, which represents a significant number of casino workers in non-gaming roles, stands in opposition to a smoking ban. Last year, Local 54 Secretary-Treasurer Donna DeCaprio described such a move as “a suicide pact.”
Interestingly, Greenwald has disclosed engagement in talks with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) to potentially synchronize smoking legislation in New Jersey with Pennsylvania. This effort seeks to ensure that any regulatory changes occur simultaneously in both states. Nonetheless, it remains unclear whether Shapiro has shown any support for this approach. Notably, casino smoking is prohibited in New York, Delaware, and nearby Maryland.
In the last legislative session, Assembly Bill 2151, aimed at prohibiting smoking in Atlantic City casinos, drew support from 56 sponsors and cosponsors, reflecting a rare degree of bipartisanship in Trenton. This number exceeded the 40 votes needed to pass the bill in the 80-member chamber. Nevertheless, Greenwald prevented the bill from reaching the floor for a vote.
