Atlantic City Casino Bill Going Up In Smoke?
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The new New Jersey Legislature is in session. The Atlantic City casino industry's exemption from an indoor smoking ban is not being advanced by state Senate President Stephen Sweeney. Sweeney lost his seat last month to a little-known truck driver. A casino tax-break bill cleared a state senate committee on Monday. Office of Legislative Services says the bill will reduce the payment-in-lieu-of-taxes by $55 million in 2022 and probably between $30 million and $65 million through 2026.
Smoking ban advocates and Americans for Non-Smokers Rights are arguing over the issue of a ban on smoking in Atlantic City casinos. They argue that a smoking ban would have a negative effect on Atlantic city casinos and a decline in tax revenue. The Casino Association of New Jersey supports the ban. The association claims that Atlantic casinos experienced 11% higher earnings while operating smoke-free in the first quarter of 2021.
The pending bill would extend the smoking ban to casinos in New Jersey. The 2007 New. Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act eliminated indoor smoking for nearly all establishments throughout the state, but granted an exemption for Atlantic City’s casinos. Atlantic. City passed an ordinance restricting casino smoking to no more than 25% of the gaming floor. The bill is sponsored by Senate Democrats Loretta Weinberg, Shirley Turner, Joseph Vitale, Teresa Ruiz, and Patrick Diegnan, as well as Atlantic County Republican Vince Polistina.
Casino association says it has invested in state-of-the-art air filtration systems to protect the health of casino workers and customers. CEASE wants the governor and legislature to act on the bill that gives tax breaks to casinos. Two eastern Pennsylvania casinos have elected to continue a COVID-era ban on smoking. The city of Philadelphia has imposed the same restriction on Rivers and Live! casinos in that locale.
