'It would have been a nice present this year.' “I'm hopeful that we will be in a smoke-free environment in the near future,” said Nicole Vitola, a Borgata dealer and one of the leaders of the push to ban smoking in the casinos. Smoking is currently allowed on 25% of the casino floor, but those areas are spread out widely over the entire gambling area, with the effect that secondhand smoke is present and detectable even in nonsmoking sections. That approach is vehemently opposed by many casino workers who say nothing less than a full ban can protect their health and give them the same workplace protections that other workers in New Jersey are guaranteed. Despite ever-growing support - most of the state Legislature has signed on as co-sponsors, and New Jersey's governor promises he'll sign it - the bill has been bottled up in state government committees without votes.Ī December push fizzled when some lawmakers pivoted away from a full ban in favor of a compromise proposal favored by the casino industry that would build enclosed smoking rooms in which employees would volunteer to work. This will mark the fourth year of a sustained push to close a loophole in the state's public smoking law that specifically exempted casinos from smoke-free workplaces. Mark Giannantonio, president of Resorts casino as well as the Casino Association of New Jersey, said the industry is upbeat about Atlantic City's prospects in the new year “as we further transform Atlantic City into the leading regional gaming and tourism destination.” She said recent pay raises for casino and hotel workers have eased labor shortages somewhat.Īnd even though internet gambling continues to grow, nongambling attractions like the Showboat water park and the new Dave and Busters arcade, bar and restaurant should help attract new visitors to the resort, she said. “With recent gains in the stock market and a stabilization of inflation, consumer confidence may be improving, which could lead to increased spending on travel and entertainment.” “There are several reasons for optimism in looking ahead to 2024,” she said. Jane Bokunewicz, director of the Lloyd Levenson Institute at Stockton University, which studies the Atlantic City gambling and tourism market, believes 2024 could see a return to more normal patterns after pandemic-related disruptions. And the physical casinos will be watching closely to see whether gamblers continue to more widely embrace internet gambling and sports betting at the expense of doing it in person inside the casinos.

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