United Auto Workers (UAW), a union which also represents casino workers, has previously filed a lawsuit that wants to compel the state to remove Atlantic City’s nine casinos from the list of excluded properties where indoor smoking is allowed. The UAW’s lawsuit argues that the health of casino staff is put in danger because of the continuation of indoor smoking on gaming floors.

We Are All on the Same Side – Almost

Yet not everyone agrees. A pushback from the New Jersey Attorney General’s office is to be expected, but the camp against banning smoking for the time being also includes Local 54 of the Unite Here union, the state’s largest, which represents 10,000 casino workers and has filed an appeal with the Superior Court of New Jersey to dismiss the lawsuit brought around by UAW.

The filing says that workers stand to lose their jobs should a smoking ban be enacted, and further notes that only 25% of gaming floors are currently covered by the indoor smoking exemption. However, the lack of proper filtration between the smoking and non-smoking areas means that secondhand smoke does reach other parts of the gaming floor as well.

UAW is fighting on behalf of dealers at several major properties, including Tropicana, Bally’s and Caesars, with dealers usually the most impacted by smokers at their tables. Trinity Health, a not-for-profit health system, has also appealed to the state to heed the calls of the UAW and move forward with a complete ban on indoor smoking on the gaming floor.

New Jersey AG Matthew Platkin has already defended the state’s decision, and Gov. Phil Murphy, arguing that exempting certain areas of the gaming floors from the indoor smoking ban did not infringe on “any purported constitutional right to safety,” and has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the lawsuit.

UAW lawyer Nancy Erika Smith, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the union, has said that she was baffled by Local 54’s reaction, and the union’s decision to fight back against a measure that could ultimately only benefit its workers. However, Local 54 has greater concerns on their minds.

The union’s workers fear that banning smoking would lead to a downturn in casino footfall, which will in turn mean job cuts, with as many as a third of all workers running the possibility of losing their jobs.

To Light Up or Not to Light Up – This Is the Question

Donna DeCaprio, Local 54 president, has mostly sided with what has been said by casinos themselves. A complete ban on indoor smoking at casinos would be “catastrophic” and have serious economic ramifications for casinos and their staff. Yet, Atlantic City and New Jersey have other states to compare against.

Pennsylvanian properties that have banned smoking have not registered a downturn in revenue. Similar efforts to limit smoking are also undergoing in Rhode Island, Kansas, and Virginia. Yet, Local 54 believes that the worst possible scenario is the only one. A complete ban on smoking would significantly reduce the sector’s competitiveness resulting in job cuts.

It has already been tried once before, the union reminded, referring to a 2008 ban on smoking, which saw casino revenues drop by 19.8%. However, there is also evidence to support the claim that casino floors may be reinvigorated as more non-smokers come to Atlantic City to play in a smoke-free area. Besides, a lot has changed in the United States when it comes to smoking habits.

A quick historical comparison shows that in 2008, around 20.5% of the population smoked. The rate has declined to less than 11.5% by 2021, with the latest figures likely to show even further decline. The saga is ongoing, with no end in sight just yet.

The post New Jersey AG Wants UAW Anti-Smoking Lawsuit Thrown Out appeared first on Keno Wizard.

The debate about smoking on the casino floor in Atlantic City’s casinos has been ongoing for nearly two decades. Currently, a loophole in New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act allows casinos to permit indoor smoking within an area of up to 25% of their gaming floors. In contrast, the Act prohibits smoking within public areas in the state with that sole exception.

While the debate about smoking is ongoing, a new bill calls to keep the current restriction for smoking to occur within 25% of the casino gaming floors, adding a few conditions. The bill, S2651, which non-smoking activists call maintaining the status quo, is supported by Sen. John Burzichelli and was introduced in the Senate earlier this week. The proposal was referred to the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee for further review and consideration.

While this is a new bill, in its majority, it keeps the current rules about indoor smoking for casinos in Atlantic City. As noted, the bill would keep the existing restriction that limits the casinos from indoor smoking within up to 25% of their gaming floors.

However, under S2651, smoking would be permitted within specially designated smoking areas that offer slots and are located more than 15 feet away from table games with dealers. Additionally, the proposal would enable casinos to permit smoking within designated smoking areas that are separated from the other areas within the casino floor. Dealers who would be working in such areas will have to confirm if they agree to be assigned to such a position.

Anti-smoking Group Criticizes the Newly Proposed Bill

Burzichelli backed his proposal by explaining that it would prevent casinos from closing. He was quoted on the matter by the Associated Press, explaining: “It’s about what we can do to keep casinos open, and how do we get it right.” Additionally, Burzichelli warned: “Losing one casino means thousands of jobs lost.”

The proposal immediately captured the attention of the anti-smoking group, Casino Employees Against Smoking Harmful Effects (CEASE). The group issued a statement claiming Burzichelli’s proposal was “copied and pasted.” In their statement, CEASE explained: “This bill would retain the same level of smoking as is currently permitted and will not decrease in any way the amount of exposure workers have to secondhand smoke.”

The anti-smoking group reiterated that the only proposal that may receive sufficient support is a rival bill that prohibits indoor smoking completely. Previously, Gov. Phil Murphy hinted at his intention to sign such a proposal, should it get enough traction and support. Speaking about the Governor’s support, CEASE predicted that Burzichelli’s bill is unlikely to progress.

The post Anti-smoking Debate in Atlantic City Intensifies with New Bill appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Now, the comments of Rhode Island Senate President Dominick Ruggerio have caused another stir in the debate with the man lambasting those who have been calling for restricting smoking on gaming floors.

Blasting Casino Workers for Accepting the Jobs in the First Place

Ruggerio outright criticized casino workers for demanding a stop to smoking, using rather strong language to describe their demands. His remarks came as part of the Rhode Island Report, a weekly podcast hosted by PBS and The Boston Globe.

The debate got quite heated as the topic of indoor smoking came up during the podcast. Essentially, there is a loophole in the state’s laws that exempts casinos from the Public Health and Workplace Safety Act and allows casinos to host smokers on gaming floors.

This has to end, insist those opposing the exemption. However, Ruggerio chose to coach his own words much more firmly saying that those people should just look for other jobs instead. “Now, all of a sudden, there’s a small group who feels that it’s not good for their health,” the lawmaker vituperated on air.

Of course, Ruggerio is misinformed on at least two of the things he said – for starters, the link between ill health and smoking, as well as second-hand smoking, has been very well-established. Ruggerio’s own personal objection to those who call for smoke-free areas does not really change scientific evidence founded in hard facts and not flippancy.

Then again, there is the matter of how many people are actually fed up with smokers. Casino workers are on the front lines, but other guests have been complaining, too. A recent survey ranking the worst hotel services in the United States, for example, cited cigar odor as one of the off-putting reasons why they have given certain properties low reviews.

Ruggerio is supposed to offer balanced opinions as well, and as a lawmaker, he should advocate for people’s well-being. Another argument that a lack of smokers undermines the financial feasibility of casino projects has also been busted by hard data that indicates that companies show no slowdown in their operating results.

No, Ventilation Systems Does Not Protect Against Dangerous Particles

Rhode Island’s Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects chapter, CEASE, has responded to Ruggerio’s comments saying that they were disrespectful, incendiary, and badly informed. “For the Senate President to blame casino workers for “agreeing” to this job is a slap in the face to the hundreds of workers who are the backbone of the casino industry,” an official message stated.

Those supporting Ruggerio’s scurrilous claims have often cited the advancements made in ventilation systems during the pandemic that effectively “negate” the impact of second-hand smoking. This too sounds great, only the claims are not really sustainable.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers actually reached out with an official position to Rhode Island’s lawmakers informing them that such claims were not true and that ventilation systems do not actually remove harmful and toxic particles and certainly not to a level where they would be innocuous to the thousands of people working in Rhode Island’s casinos and experiencing second-hand smoking.

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