Phil Murphy, a Democrat, has promised to sign the bill if it’s passed by the Legislature. Those hearings and votes have not yet been scheduled. The bill needs to be voted upon in committees of the Senate and Assembly, then voted on by the full membership of those legislative bodies before going to the governor. Support for a smoking ban is widespread among New Jersey lawmakers: Identical smoking ban bills are sponsored or co-sponsored by 51 Assembly members and 23 state Senators, representing a bipartisan majority in both chambers. “An immediate smoking ban in New Jersey casinos, while smoking is still permitted in casinos in neighboring states, against the backdrop of an already weakened and worsening economic climate, would endanger thousands of jobs and jeopardize millions of dollars in tax revenue dedicated to seniors and the disabled of New Jersey,” the association’s statement read, adding that a smoking ban “could cause a devastating effect.” “As dealers, we cannot walk away our job is to take it, no matter how many cigarettes or cigars are lit.” I realize that people dying in their 40s and 50s is not normal,” he said. Lamont White, another Borgata dealer, has been working in the casinos for 38 years. We don’t think it’s fair that we should have to choose between a paycheck and our health.” “When a player 12 inches away blows a cloud of smoke at me, I can’t move, and I’m prohibited from waving the smoke away, a gesture that would be considered rude. “I am responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of chips,” said Borgata dealer Pete Naccarelli, one of the leaders of the anti-smoking movement in Atlantic City. Just three of the nine casinos - Borgata, Ocean and Resorts - surpassed their pre-pandemic revenue levels in terms of money won from in-person gamblers last year.

The other half was won online and must be shared with third parties including tech platforms and sports books. The issue is among the most divisive in Atlantic City, where even though casino revenue matched its all time high of $5.2 billion last year, only half that amount was won from in-person gamblers.

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