A planned discussion of a potential smoking ban for Atlantic City casinos at this week’s East Coast Gaming Congress (ECGC) was canceled after the main participant on the casino operator side, Mark Giannantonio, pulled out of the event.
Giannantonio, president of Resorts Casino, is the current head of the Casino Association of New Jersey, which has pledged to keep the casino exemption to New Jersey’s indoor smoking ban. A bill to wipe out the exemption and impose a smoking ban in Atlantic City casinos has gathered numerous sponsors in both chambers of the New Jersey Assembly, and Governor Phil Murphy has pledged to sign any smoking ban legislation that reaches his desk.
Anti-smoking activists and Atlantic City casino employees, who have been pushing for a smoking ban as a health issue, were anticipating the session as the first public airing of the dispute between advocates of a ban and a representative of the operators, who vehemently oppose a ban as a possible drag on business.
“The Casino Association of New Jersey has been very transparent in its position that an immediate smoking ban would have a significant adverse effect on Atlantic City,” Giannantonio told the Associated Press. “We believe that more time is needed to devise and implement a solution that will address the concerns of our employees without jeopardizing jobs and benefits to seniors.”
Cynthia Hallett, president and CEO of Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, and Eric Hausler, CEO of Greenwood Racing, which owns the smoke-free Park Casino in Pennsylvania, had been planned as the other panelists.
Hallett was quick to criticize the pullout, telling the AP that the industry is simply avoiding the issue. “It’s remarkably telling that Atlantic City casinos couldn’t find one person to publicly defend their position in favor of indoor smoking,” Hallett said. “They know that they cannot win on the facts—even their economic arguments have been thoroughly rebutted—so they are avoiding a public discussion.
“We are disappointed that this conversation will be missing from the formal conference program, but rest assured: The presence of casino workers who have been fighting for their health will be felt next week,” she said, referring to this week’s conference.
The governor, who is slated to speak at the ECGC, reaffirmed his commitment to sign any smoking ban that reaches his desk in comments to News12NJ.
“I have said if that bill gets on my desk, I will sign it. And that continues to be my answer,” Murphy said. “It’s one that has a lot of passion on both sides of it. On one side, you’ve got ‘will it impact business,’ particularly if other states don’t have the same ban. I think the other side of it is where I’m more comfortable, which is, at the end of the day, we will still get good business. Atlantic City is an American gem. We’ve got the ocean and the other competitors don’t. And this is the right thing for our respective health.”
