Atlantic City Casino Smoking Ban Supporters Light Up in Protest

Article by : Erik Gibbs Dec 18, 2023

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Amid the increasingly uncertain prospects for a smoking ban in Atlantic City’s casinos, workers advocating for such a prohibition took matters into their own hands, lips and lungs on Thursday.

Disrupting a meeting of a state Assembly committee, members of the United Auto Workers union, representing dealers at three casinos in Atlantic City, brought attention to their cause by lighting cigarettes and blowing smoke toward legislators.

The meeting had been scheduled to hold a preliminary vote on a bill aimed at banning smoking in the casinos.

The previous night hopes for the smoking ban were dealt a blow when a key supporter of the cause abandoned a bill that sought to end smoking in the nine casinos. Instead, this advocate embraced some measures favored by the casino industry, including the provision for enclosed smoking rooms.

This abrupt shift left some employees fuming, both figuratively and literally. Seven union members took a bold stance by lighting up in the meeting hall of the State House Annex, a location where, much like virtually all other workplaces in New Jersey, smoking is prohibited.

Daniel Vicente, a regional director of the union, expressed their frustration to lawmakers by highlighting the inconsistency in smoking regulations. While they are forbidden to smoke in legislators’ workplaces, smoking is permitted in theirs.

The symbolic act served as a stark reminder of the contentious debate surrounding smoking regulations in the city’s gambling establishments.

Following their disruptive protest, Daniel Vicente, a regional director of the United Auto Workers union, and fellow members were escorted from the hearing room by State Police without facing charges.

Workers, angry about the setback to the smoking ban, are urging the state’s top Democratic leadership to force a vote on the original bill. Uncertainty, however, remains.

State Sen. Vince Polistina, a Republican, acknowledged the lack of support for the original bill and is working on a new measure that incorporates casino industry proposals.

The new proposal aims to gradually reduce smoking at slot machines, prohibit smoking at table games and introduce enclosed smoking rooms within 18 months.

The proposed compromise has faced criticism from casino workers, who argue it echoes industry interests rather than prioritizing the health concerns of employees and customers. The ongoing debate reflects the contentious nature of smoking regulations in Atlantic City’s casinos.