The potential economic impact of banning smoking inside Atlantic City’s casinos has diminished over time, according to a research group that once warned such a move could cost thousands of jobs and slash revenue.
In a shift from its 2022 analysis, Spectrum Gaming Group said last week that the effects of eliminating smoking from casino floors — whether through legislation or voluntary policies — “has lessened over time.”
The change in position reflects broader industry trends and social habits. The U.S. adult smoking rate dropped to 11.6% in 2022, down more than half since 2006, according to the American Lung Association. Casinos have also improved accommodations for smokers, offering open-air gambling areas and outdoor patios, while pandemic-era restrictions helped patrons adapt to stricter health protocols.
Spectrum’s 2022 report, commissioned by the Casino Association of New Jersey, predicted Atlantic City casinos could lose nearly 11% of their revenue and up to 2,500 jobs if a comprehensive smoking ban were enacted. The firm now says those projections were based on assumptions — notably, that neighboring Pennsylvania casinos would continue to allow indoor smoking, creating a competitive disadvantage for New Jersey.
However, in a May 20 webinar, Spectrum also noted that “differences between individual casinos appear to be more important than smoking vs. smokefree,” referencing examples in Pennsylvania. After pandemic restrictions eased, some casinos, including Parx and Rivers, opted to remain smoke-free, while others reinstated smoking.
Casino workers and anti-smoking advocates who have pushed for a ban in Atlantic City for more than five years said the firm’s updated remarks support what they’ve argued all along.
“Spectrum is now admitting the truth: allowing indoor smoking in casinos doesn’t help revenue — and going smokefree doesn’t hurt it,” said Pete Naccarelli, a table games dealer at Borgata and co-founder of Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE).
“The 2022 Spectrum report has always been a house of cards that falls apart upon closer inspection,” he added. “Over the last three years, Spectrum’s research has significantly contributed to arguments against protecting us from dangerous secondhand smoke for eight hours every day, and too many of our colleagues have lost their lives over that period.”
Measures to ban smoking in Atlantic City’s nine casinos have stalled in the New Jersey Legislature for years. The most recent bill advanced from committee over a year ago, but no further action has been taken.
Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, has pledged to sign a smoking ban if one reaches his desk, but has not actively pushed lawmakers to act.
Cynthia Hallett, president of Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, criticized industry reliance on Spectrum’s earlier report. “It was an absurd theory three years ago, and it’s shameful now that casino workers have suffered as a result,” she said. “Now the industry must accept what we’ve known all along — secondhand smoke definitely doesn’t help business.”
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/05/28/106295-atlantic-city-casino-smoking-ban-seen-as-less-risky-to-revenue-spectrum-gaming-says
