Atlantic City Casino Smoking Ban Could Help Increase Business

Atlantic City casinos were supposed to have a full smoking ban in place by now. Last year, the city decided that there would be no more smoking anywhere on gaming floors. That idea was quickly challenged by casino owners.

The owners won that battle in large part because it was taking place in the middle of an economic recession. The city agreed to put the smoking ban on hold for a year and then take the issue back up again.

Now, that year is up and it looks as though the city is unsure on how to proceed with the smoking ban. Many people, however, believe that the smoking ban may be just what the doctor ordered for the struggling casino industry in AC.

"The surrounding states to New Jersey do not have full smoking bans for their casinos," said Analyst Gregory Belfour, "If AC casinos went to a full ban, they would attract thousands of customers from neighboring states that do not want to gamble with their health."

While Belfour's views are shared by some, not everyone believes that a smoking ban would be beneficial for business. In fact, industry insiders believe the opposite to be true.

"A 100 percent smoking ban would be catastrophic," said Marc Juliano, CEO of Trump Entertainment Resorts, "Right now, we just can't face another negative."

One negative has been worked out this week for AC casinos. The workers union representing 15,000 employees came to an agreement with four casinos in the city that will avoid a work stoppage. The other casinos are said to be reviewing the agreement and most likely will complete deals of their own in the near future.

September 30, 2009
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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