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Trenton, NJ— Atlantic City casino workers are urging Governor Phil Murphy during his upcoming State of the State address to call on legislative leaders to send a bill to his desk that would get rid of smoking in Atlantic City casinos. In a letter from the co-founders and co-leaders of Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE), workers called on Governor Murphy to push lawmakers to pass bipartisan legislation to close the casino smoking loophole by April 15, which marks 17 years since the legislature passed the Clean Indoor Air Act that created the loophole in the first place.

“Ever since indoor smoking returned to our workplaces on July 4, 2021, we have been fighting to protect our health by closing the casino smoking loophole in New Jersey law that gives the casinos a special exemption that no other business receives,” CEASE writes. “When you deliver your State of the State address on Tuesday, we are asking that you call on legislative leaders to send bipartisan legislation to close the casino smoking loophole to your desk by April 15. This date marks 17 years since the Clean Indoor Air Act took effect for most indoor workplaces – except for casinos. This makes us essentially the only group of workers in the state forced to choose between our health and a paycheck.”

The letter noted Governor Murphy’s strong support of their cause and commitment to sign legislation when it is passed. “We are grateful for your support of our fight,” they write. “You have spoken out repeatedly in favor of legislation that is being co-sponsored by more than half of all members of both legislative chambers.”

“The casinos are stalling and will always find a reason for why ‘now is not the right time,’” the letter continues. “Enough already. As we begin 2023 and the 17th year since legislators first created the casino smoking loophole, it’s long past time to prioritize the health of thousands of casino workers in Atlantic City who deserve the same healthy workplace as every other New Jersey employee. Please use your State of the State on Tuesday to help us finally get this done.”

Read the entire letter.

BACKGROUND
Legislation to eliminate the casino smoking loophole has earned more cosponsors than most other bills this legislative session in Trenton. It has been over 500 days since smoking returned to Atlantic City casinos and legislation to get rid of smoking is now cosponsored by 45 state assembly members and 23 state senators– a bipartisan majority in both chambers.

S264 and A2151 are identical bills that “[e]liminates [the] smoking ban exemption for casinos and simulcasting facilities.”

Governor Phil Murphy has repeatedly affirmed that he’d sign the legislation, most recently saying, “At the end of the day, we will still get good business. Atlantic City is an American gem. We’ve got the ocean and the other competitors don’t. And this is the right thing for our respective health.”

A report by Las Vegas-based C3 Gaming found that casinos without indoor smoking outperform their smoking counterparts and that Atlantic City would not lose gamblers to the handful of remaining eastern Pennsylvania casinos that allow indoor smoking. The United Auto Workers (UAW), the union representing Atlantic City casino dealers, is urging legislative leaders to advance bills to close the smoking loophole. UFCW Local 152, which represents 16,000 retail, manufacturing, and healthcare workers in South Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and Delaware, also supports eliminating the casino smoking loophole.

The leading organization dealing with gambling addiction has warned legislators that continuing to allow indoor smoking at Atlantic City casinos will only continue to encourage gambling addiction, but that passing bipartisan bills, S264 and A2151, to close the casino smoking loophole would help to address this concern.