Health committee approves bill to ban smoking in Atlantic City casinos

The New Jersey Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee has approved the bill.

US.- A bill that would ban smoking on Atlantic City casino floors could be headed for a full Senate vote after the New Jersey Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee gave its approval. Joseph Vitale, who introduced the bill and chairs the committee, said the vote was a “step in the right direction.”

Casino workers in favour of the ban have lobbied legislators for years. The Senate bill has 26 sponsors and bipartisan support. It was introduced in January 2022 by Vitale and Shirley Turner and has

Smoking at casinos was temporarily banned at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 but was permitted again from July 2021. Casinos have largely remained opposed to a ban. The Casino Association of New Jersey, the trade group for Atlantic City’s nine casinos, commissioned a report predicting widespread job losses and revenue declines if smoking were banned.