SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Gamblers will be allowed to smoke in New Jersey casinos again after Sunday, when many of Gov. Phil Murphy’s COVID-19 restrictions officially expire.
The bill ending Murphy’s public health emergency includes an end for the ban on smoking in casinos effective, July 4.
“It’s one of the few things that wasn’t a month-end or month beginning. And so that will sunset on its own on Sunday,” Murphy said Wednesday at a Trenton news conference.
The governor said he would support the idea of reviving the ban in the future.
“Would I be constructive on legislation — because I need to do this statutorily — that could come to me in the future to extend that ban or make it more permanent? I would be very constructive on that,” he added.
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The governor’s remarks came two hours after dozens of casino workers and anti-smoking advocates rallied on the Atlantic City boardwalk to call for a permanent smoking ban.
Casinos are exempted from a state law banning most indoor smoking, while an Atlantic City law limits smoking to no more than 25% of the casino floor.
New Jersey has also prohibited smoking on beaches and public parks.
Onjewel Smith of the group Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights said the casino workers at greatest risk from smoking “are the mostly Black and brown women, front-line workers. They are the ones putting their lives at risk every day.”
The Casino Association of New Jersey, a trade group, opposes a permanent smoking ban, saying it could cause long-term financial implications.
“Going completely nonsmoking would place Atlantic City casinos at a competitive disadvantage with other nearby casinos that allow smoking,” the group said in a statement.
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Such a ban would lead to fewer customers, fewer casino jobs and lower tax revenue, it said.
The casinos say they have spent considerable sums on cleaning and air filtration systems to protect customers.
And, a considerable amount of gamblers say that smoking is an integral part of their gambling experience.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.