Pennsylvania casino workers testify at House hearing to urge them to protect their health

Harrisburg, PA— Pennsylvania casino workers and a coalition of public health advocates gathered in Harrisburg today to urge lawmakers to end the outdated practice of indoor smoking in casinos. During a hearing before the Pennsylvania House Health Committee, members of Casino Workers Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) testified in support of HB 1657, legislation to close the casino smoking loophole. State Representative Dan Frankel last week introduced legislation to end indoor smoking in the state’s commercial casinos and protect frontline workers from being exposed to secondhand smoke on the job.

“We have all seen the evidence firsthand: smokefree casinos are not just a breath of fresh air for us workers, but they’re proving to be winners for the industry,” said Jen Rubolino, a table games dealer at Rivers Casino and co-leader of CEASE PA. “Look at Parx Casino, leading the charge with smokefree venues and industry-leading profits. This isn’t just a local trend – casinos across the nation, from the Las Vegas strip to Tribal gaming venues, are embracing smokefree policies. We launched CEASE to end outdated indoor smoking policies and help tell the stories of pregnant colleagues exposed to secondhandsmoke and friends developing lifelong illnesses due to years working in smoky casinos. The only way to truly protect us is to close the casino smoking loophole. We thank Rep. Frankel for his support on this and we urge lawmakers to pass this bill as soon as possible.”

HB 1657 adds all workplaces and public spaces to the state’s Clean Indoor Air Act, and removes indoor smoking, including the use of e-cigarettes, from bars, casinos and private clubs. The legislation is supported by a coalition of public health experts and advocates for smoke-free air including Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights; the American Heart Association; the American Lung Association; the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

BACKGROUND

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported this summer that smokefree Parx Casino in the Philadelphia/New Jersey market continues to lead Pennsylvania’s gaming industry as the state posted record-high revenue. In February, Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment doubled down on the success of Parx by opening another smokefree casino in Shippensburg.

Over the past three years, thousands of casino workers have joined the worker-led movement to close the casino smoking loophole. Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) is active in five states including New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Kansas and Virginia. CEASE members have testified before legislators, sharing harrowing stories of pregnant women being forced to work surrounded by high-roller cigar smokers and some who have developed cancer after a lifelong career in the casinos.

More and more casinos nationwide are going smoke free, including Park MGM on the Las Vegas Strip. At least 160 sovereign tribal gaming venues implemented 100% smoke-free policies during COVID-19, 20 states require commercial casinos to be smoke-free indoors, and more than 1,000 gaming properties do not permit smoking indoors.

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that found adult cigarette smoking rates in the U.S. dropped to an all-time low, with only 1 in 9 adults saying they were current smokers. Another report from the CDC Office on Smoking and Health examined air quality in Las Vegas casinos. The report, entitled “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Your Lungs,” evaluated particulate matter – an indicator for secondhand smoke – in casinos that are smoke-free indoors, and compared the results to casinos that allow smoking. They affirmed that prohibiting smoking throughout the entirety of a casino is the only way to prevent the harms of secondhand smoke.

Ventilation systems are not the answer, according to the engineers who design such systems and collectively make up the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). “[Ventilation systems] are not effective against secondhand smoke” and “can reduce only odor and discomfort, but cannot eliminate exposure,” reads their report. “There is no currently available or reasonably anticipated ventilation or air-cleaning system that can adequately control or significantly reduce the health risks of [environmental tobacco smoke] to an acceptable level.”

A report published by Las Vegas-based C3 Gaming found that casinos without indoor smoking outperform their smoking counterparts. “Data from multiple jurisdictions clearly indicates that banning smoking no longer causes a dramatic drop in gaming revenue,” wrote C3 Gaming. “In fact, non-smoking properties appear to be performing better than their counterparts that continue to allow smoking.

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Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) is a group of thousands of casino dealers and other frontline gaming workers that is fighting to permanently remove smoking from our workplaces. CEASE has chapters working to close the casino smoking loophole in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Kansas and Virginia.