Casino employees in Atlantic City, New Jersey, have petitioned state legislators to prohibit smoking inside the establishments so that they are not exposed to respiratory infections and their consequences.
The appeal comes as casinos fight to recoup revenue lost as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey has committed to sign the bill if it passes. But casino owners and the principal casinos’ workers union in Atlantic City are vehemently opposed, fearing widespread job and income losses if smoking is outlawed at casinos.
The New Jersey Casino Association commissioned a report in recent days that forecasts huge job losses and revenue drops if Atlantic City bans smoking in casinos.
“Atlantic City has yet to see growth from pre-pandemic levels,” association president Joe Lupo said, according toTelemundo62. “Employment at our casinos is at its lowest point in 20 years, with less than 50% of the workforce since 2003. Visits to Atlantic City are at their lowest point in 20 years, while gas prices and the tolls are going up.”
“And land-based casino revenue remains down nearly 50% from our peak in 2006,” he stated. “Adding a smoking ban could have a devastating effect on the community and the state.”
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Casino workers and regulators have different figures
Casino employees strongly disagree with the report, claiming that it fails to account for a probable improvement in economic circumstances in the years after the smoking ban’s implementation, as players become accustomed to a smoke-free environment.
State gambling authorities revealed numbers earlier this month revealing that Atlantic City casinos together outperformed their gross operational profit levels prior to the pandemic’s arrival in 2020.
However, the two newest casinos on the market accounted for nearly all of the improvement, while the other seven remained unaltered since the outbreak began.
The bill has yet to receive a hearing in the state legislature, although it continues to receive bipartisan support.
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