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A.C. Ban Compromise Passes Preliminary Vote

Michael Moretti
Posted: January 25, 2007

A plan for a partial smoking ban on casino floors passed a preliminary vote yesterday in the Atlantic City Council.

The council met last night and agreed on a compromise to the initial proposal, which would have prohibited smoking on the entire casino floor. The compromise would allow casinos to permit smoking on 25 percent of the gaming floor and would require that these areas be sectioned off from the rest of the floor by solid walls with windows and outfitted with their own air-filtration system.

According to an Associated Press article, advocates for the complete ban on gaming floors argued that the indoor smoking was harmful to the health of casino employees working the floor and that no employees would want to work in the new smoking sections if created. Those favoring the partial ban argued for the casinos' rights to meet customers' needs and guard against a projected 20 percent loss of revenue and 3,400 jobs.

The final vote is expected in two weeks. If approved by the council and signed by Mayor Robert W. Levy Sr., Atlantic City's eleven casinos, which include the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, Caesars Atlantic City and the Trump Taj Mahal, could go smoke free as early as April 15.