The continuous issue of casino smoking was discussed on Friday during the Southern New Jersey Development Council’s 42nd Annual Sound Off for South Jersey Legislative Conference at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. A prominent Democratic legislator's remarks on the matter drew a strong reaction from advocates aiming to eliminate the indoor tobacco use exception that casinos obtained through New Jersey’s 2006 Smoke-Free Air Act.
New Jersey Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-Voorhees) participated in a panel at the conference alongside multiple Democratic peers. A variety of subjects were talked about, however, since the event was hosted within a resort in Atlantic City, the issue of smoking in casinos came up.
"You are seeing the debate. It’s a very hard debate for us,” Greenwald said of casino smoking. “If New Jersey acts independently and eliminates smoking, and we don’t act intelligently in how we do that, 3,500 employees in this city will lose their jobs.”
Greenwald referenced employment forecasts put forth by the casino industry, which assert that a smoking prohibition would harm their business activities and favor casinos in nearby Philadelphia, where smoking is permitted on the majority of gaming areas.
Remarks Ignite Stern Reaction
Greenwald's remarks, apparently prioritizing jobs over safeguarding casino workers from secondhand smoke, prompted a swift reply from CEASE, or Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects. The grassroots alliance is urging state legislators to back a law that mandates casinos to operate without smoking.
CEASE states that campaign finance documents show Greenwald has received tens of thousands of dollars from Big Tobacco, such as Philip Morris. Greenwald has faced criticism for hindering legislation that had sufficient backing from co-sponsors to eliminate the casinos’ smoking rights, permitting them to allocate up to 25% of their gaming area for tobacco consumption.
Greenwald has proposed reaching a compromise, with one option being to mandate that casinos permit cigars and cigarettes solely in fully enclosed spaces equipped with distinct ventilation systems. Only casino employees who are willing would work in the smoking enclosures.
"It’s time for the majority leader to stop standing in the way of the bipartisan bill that has broad support that would finally close the casino smoking loophole and actually attract more visitors to Atlantic City who stay away today because of the smoke,” said CEASE co-founder and longtime Borgata dealer Pete Naccarelli.
Dan Vicente, the Region 9 Director of the United Auto Workers, which represents table game dealers in Atlantic City, states that he has made multiple attempts to contact Greenwald but has not gotten a reply.
"If Majority Leader Greenwald wants to make progress on this issue, he would be reaching out to the workers, health groups, and unions fighting for this. We welcome the opportunity to meet with him directly and hear why he thinks our health should take a backseat to unfounded economic concerns,” said Vicente.
Another union, Unite Here Local 54, represents additional casino workers in non-gaming positions. Unite Here is against the removal of smoking in casinos, as Local 54 Secretary-Treasurer Donna DeCaprio commented last year that this change “would be a suicide pact.”
Alliance in Pennsylvania?
Greenwald may not be conversing with the dealers' union, but he claims to be in discussions with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D). Greenwald aims to align laws in New Jersey with Pennsylvania so that both gaming states can enact smoking modifications at the same time.
It’s uncertain if Shapiro was open to that notion. In New York and Delaware, smoking in casinos is prohibited. Maryland, which is close by, also prohibits smoking inside casinos.
In the previous legislative session, Assembly Bill 2151 — a bill aimed at making Atlantic City casinos eliminate tobacco smoke — received support from 56 sponsors and co-sponsors, marking a rare example of bipartisanship in Trenton. The 56 votes exceeded the 40 needed to approve the bill in the 80-member assembly.
Greenwald prevented the law from going to a floor vote.