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Gaming Outside of Atlantic City, New Jersey

Although casino gaming floors in New Jersey were exempted from the 2006 Smokefree Air Act, state law requires 100% smokefree bingo, racetracks and their simulcast facilities, including Favorites simulcast in Woodbridge, Toms River, and Vineland, and Winners off-track betting facility in Bayonne. Read our news alert about the grand-opening of the new facility in Bayonne.

With the proliferation of jurisdications including gaming venues in their smokefree air laws, NJ GASP Executive Director, Karen Blumenfeld, Esq., has published four articles in Spectrum Gaming Group's Gaming Industry Observer:

• Read the May 23, 2011 article, "As legislators step in, casinos weigh reasons to go smokefree," on page 3 of the publication.
• Read the front page article, "Smokefree gaming spreads through states, countries; Poor economy tempers trend," from September 28, 2009.
• Read the May 19, 2008 article, "Smart operators will find the silver (or platinum) lining of smokefree casinos," that was distributed at the East Coast Gaming Congress in May 2008, in Atlantic City.
• Read the July 30, 2007 article, "As smoke clears, casinos can see path to new profitability," on page 7 of the publication.
  
  Note: These article links are republished by NJ GASP with permission of the Gaming Industry Observer and cannot be reproduced or distributed.

GASP maintains the following lists related to smokefree gaming:

• North American jurisdictions that require smokefree gaming
• Global alphabetical list of jurisdictions with legislation requiring smokefree gaming
• Global regional list of jurisdictions with legislation requiring smokefree gaming
• List of smokefree casinos (from Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights website)

Ohio bans smoking in public places, and gaming venues are not exempt. When the Ohio law passed, they only had racetracks. When Ohio decided to issue casino licenses, they upheld the law and required the casinos to be 100% smokefree. Read a news article about the grand opening of The Hollywood on May 28, 2012 a Toledo casino hoping its non-smoking venue will attract customers across the border from Michigan whose casinos are currently smoking-permitted. Penn National Gaming, the owner, will use drug test screening to ensure all employees are non-smokers, with the goal to improve health of its employees and to reduce insurance costs. Read this November 25, 2012 Columbus Dispatch news article about the new casino in Ohio and the trend of some companies to hire non-tobacco users.

For more information, please read the following:

• American Gaming Association President predicts smokefree gaming everywhere by 2008-2009
• Las Vegas Review Journal, "Gaming executives told how to survive new smoking ban", November 16, 2006
• Section "smokefree policies are proliferating" from Economic Facts of Smokfree Gaming by New Jersey GASP.
• Sections on "smokefree voluntarily" and "additional economic data on smokefree gaming" from Trends in Smokefree Gaming by New Jersey GASP.

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Last update: 12/5/12

This information is created by the Tobacco Control Policy and Legal Resource Center of New Jersey GASP, which provides educational information, educational guidance and educational technical assistance on tobacco control topics. The information presented is not intended as, nor to be construed, or used as legal advice, and should not be used to replace the advice of your legal Counsel. Content, artwork and design © 2014 NJ GASP, Inc.