No action in a full year on proposed Atlantic City casino smoking ban

Saturday, February 1, 2025 11:49 AM
Photo:  Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (courtesy)/Atlantic City casino workers protest the New Jersey law that exempts casinos from the state's indoor smoking ban, April 5, 2024.
  • Wayne Parry, The Press of Atlantic City

It’s been a full year since the New Jersey Legislature has done anything with a bill that would ban smoking in Atlantic City’s casinos.

Wednesday marked the anniversary of a vote in the state Senate to move forward with a bill that would end smoking in the nine casinos.

But since then, it has gone nowhere, and casino workers decried the inaction.

“It’s been a year since the Senate health committee voted to protect us from secondhand smoke, and yet we’re still waiting for action from Senate leadership,” said Pete Naccarelli, a table games dealer at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa and a co-founder of the anti-smoking group CEASE.