Almost two months have gone by since a superior court judge in New Jersey heard arguments about outlawing smoking in Atlantic City casinos. The lawsuit was filed by the Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) members. It wants New Jersey to extend the same protections to casino employees as it does to other employees in the state. The organization remains hopeful about the outcome of the lawsuit.
Waiting for the outcome
Since the judge heard both sides opening arguments, there is nothing new to report. The outcome of the lawsuit filed in April could not only have an impact on New Jersey casinos but on others around the country. Closing the loophole in state law will protect employees in casinos from second-hand smoke known to have harmful effects. Currently, smoking is allowed on 25% of the casino floor. This means that in practice, the whole casino floor is affected by second-hand smoke in varying quantities.
Casinos in the U.S. are increasingly facing pressure from socially-conscious investors and customers who expect them to put the health and safety of their employees first. Others believe that a total smoking ban would be very damaging for Atlantic City because more than half of all gambling revenue comes from the smoking sections of casinos.
However, there are some casinos in the country that have benefited from offering smoke-free environments. Parx Casino in Pennsylvania is an example of a successful smoke-free casino. It is the highest-grossing casino in the state and has voluntarily been smoke-free since the pandemic.
Would a smoking ban increase business or cause layoffs?
There isn’t a specific time set for making the decision, and there’s no telling what the outcome of the long wait will be. The state has a lot to consider due to the possible widespread ramifications of the decision. Atlantic City is a top gambling haven, and the decision requires considering all factors.
The casinos in Atlantic City are still trying to recover financially since the lifting of pandemic restrictions. CEASE members believe that a smoking ban would increase business, but some worker unions believe it would cause layoffs. They think people’s aspirations of providing well for their families would suffer if smoking were banned and they lost their jobs.
A controversial issue
Whether to ban smoking is one of the most controversial issues for Atlantic City casinos. In many other states, employees are also expressing their concern about inhaling second-hand smoke. With all the smoking deaths every year, it’s no wonder casino employees are concerned.
However, unions say that a total smoking ban is likely to put countless jobs at risk and endanger the health and welfare benefits of members and their families. Some employees, on the other hand, say going smoke-free would actually attract enough customers to offset the loss of smokers who choose to go elsewhere.
Local 54 files a lawsuit
Local 54 of the Unite Here union recently filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court with hopes of the opposite effect from the one filed by CEASE. It says that a third of the 10,000 workers it represents would be at risk of losing their jobs if smoking were banned. Local 54 represents different casino employees, from cleaners to beverage servers, at nine casinos. The president, Donna DeCaprio, says that there must be a balance between protecting the health of workers and preserving jobs.