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 Atlantic City continues to be one of the few places where smoking isn't banned from the casinos. This is because so many gamblers and businesses opposed the ban, resulting in the city legislators delaying it for a year. That was last year and now the debate as to whether to keep the Atlantic City Casinos in smoke is on the table again.
The reaction from already suffering businesses comes as no surprise as they prepare for another fight to keep Atlantic City smokers happy and coming back to their casinos.
The main concern is that the new ban against smoking would do serious damage to the already afflicted gambling revenues which could be detrimental to the casino's financial situation. The council has again been hearing this argument but some are stepping up to fight back with their point of view.
Councilman G. Bruce Ward shares his belief that turning the city into a smoke-free environment would bring in new visitors and tourists that prefer a smoke free place to gamble. The Council's President, William Marsh also supports the ban but emphasizes health issues as his main priority.
An unfortunate tryout period where Atlantic City casinos passed a smoking ban for two weeks last year yielded some possibly devastating data. The legislation permitted smoking on only 25% of the casino floor.
During the trial period, casinos claimed that their average revenues were cut in half. Atlantic City Casinos could face difficult times if the ban comes into effect next year.
What do you think Atlantic City Legislators should do? It seems that not enforcing the ban puts casino players health at risk, but enforcing it could jeopardize the casino's revenue in a way that could lead to more job loss among other things. It is a difficult decision and will be met with much debate on both sides of the issue.
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