The grassroots coalition of Atlantic City casino workers fighting for clean indoor air has garnered a new powerful ally. A leader in the New Jersey Republican Party has joined the effort to extinguish indoor casino smoking. For years, legislative discussions about casino smoking inside the nine Atlantic City resorts have persisted in Trenton. Previous legislative sessions amassed enough support in both chambers of the New Jersey Legislature to direct a bill to Governor Phil Murphy’s desk, aiming to mandate a 100% smoke-free environment in casinos. However, since 2022, Democratic control of the General Assembly and Senate has stalled these bills, following a pushback from the gaming lobby. Despite lingering controversy, a bill in the lower house has once again secured enough co-sponsors to advance it to the Senate.
The measure, Assembly Bill 2143, has been shelved in the Assembly Tourism, Gaming, and the Arts Committee, chaired by Assemblyman Bill Moen. Following directives from Democratic leadership, Moen has delayed a vote on the smoking ban proposal. In recent developments, the ban on casino smoking has gained traction among Garden State Republicans, who have been making headway in the historically Democratic state. The growing support reached a notable moment when Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio voiced his determination to push the casino smoking bills forward, expressing that Republicans are prepared to pass the bill if Democrats genuinely aim to protect workers.
This week, Assembly Republican Whip Brian Bergen also threw his weight behind the initiative, calling on Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin to move on AB2143 and its Senate counterpart, Senate Bill 1493. Bergen criticized the omission of the casino smoking ban bill from the Tourism Committee’s agenda, labeling it an “insult” and urging immediate action to prevent harmful secondhand smoke exposure in casinos. He emphasized that casino employees deserve a healthy workplace, highlighting the inconsistency of Democratic leaders who have banned smoking in other public areas but failed to extend similar protections to casino workers.
AB2143 was introduced in January by Assemblymembers Moen and Herb Conaway. It has gained co-sponsorship from 40 other assemblypersons, including a majority of the Assembly Tourism, Gaming, and the Arts Committee, amassing enough support to pass in the 80-seat legislative chamber. Similarly, Senate Bill 1493, introduced by Senators Shirley Turner and Joseph Vitale, has secured backing from 15 of their Senate colleagues in the 40-seat chamber. Despite this growing support, Democratic leaders have reportedly slowed the review process, responding to pleas from the Atlantic City gaming industry, which warns that a smoking ban could result in job losses, decreased tax revenue, and potential closures of resorts.
