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CEASE Says Atlantic City Casinos Will Benefit from an Indoor Smoking Ban

By jili tutorial · September 2, 2026

CEASE Says Atlantic City Casinos Will Benefit from an Indoor Smoking Ban

Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE), a group of casino workers united in their push to end indoor smoking, believes that going smoke-free in Atlantic City could be a powerful way to draw more visitors through the doors.

CEASE Calls for a Smoking Ban to Revitalize Atlantic City

According to CEASE co-founder and table game dealer Pete Naccarelli, if casino executives truly want to lure back the guests who are staying home, they need to improve the in-person experience — and eliminating indoor smoking is a clear first step. His comments come amid growing concern from the Atlantic County Economic Alliance (ACEA), which recently warned that more than 8,000 casino jobs in Atlantic City could be at risk. The nonprofit economic development organization pointed to the rise of online gambling and the opening of three downstate New York City casinos as the most serious threats to the city’s casino industry.

Naccarelli urged state lawmakers to reject the continued lobbying efforts of the casino industry, which have stalled legislation that would give casino workers the right to a smoke-free workplace. He argued that if the industry truly cared about attracting visitors to its brick-and-mortar properties — and protecting its employees — there is one simple step it could take: end indoor smoking.

Legislative History: A Bipartisan Effort That Stalled

Calls to ban smoking in casinos are nothing new. In 2022 and 2023, legislation to amend the 2006 New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act and remove the tobacco exemption for Atlantic City casinos gained significant support in both chambers of the New Jersey Legislature. During the 2022–23 session, Senate Bill 264 was sponsored by 23 of the state’s 40 senators. Its companion bill, Assembly Bill 2151, was backed by 56 members of the 80-seat Assembly. Despite receiving bipartisan support, neither bill ever made it to a vote.

New Jersey is not alone in facing this challenge. Earlier this year, a similar bill to ban smoking in casinos failed in Kansas, and legislation in other states continues to lag behind.

The Industry’s Counterargument: Economic Concerns

Many casinos argue that a smoking ban could drive customers away. In 2022, the Casino Association of New Jersey commissioned Spectrum Gaming, a respected U.S. gaming industry research firm, to study the potential impact of a smoking ban. The study projected that a full smoking ban could lead to an almost 11% decline in brick-and-mortar gross gaming revenue during the first year. It also estimated that the resulting revenue drop could reduce gaming tax collections by as much as $44 million and lead to up to 2,500 job losses.

Critics Question the Study’s Conclusions

However, critics argue that the picture is not as clear-cut as it seems. Dr. Geoff Atkinson, senior marketing research manager at Management Science Associates (a Spectrum affiliate), is one of those voices. During a 2025 webinar on casino smoking, he stated that the evidence does not clearly indicate that allowing smoking — or going smoke-free — provides a significant advantage or disadvantage.

In other Atlantic City news, Bally’s casino has a new president: Tom Pohlman, who previously led Golden Nugget Atlantic City and was the city’s longest-tenured casino general manager when he stepped down earlier this year.