New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill Wants Atlantic City Casino Smoking Debate Settled
Posted on: March 24, 2026, 11:39h.
Last updated on: March 24, 2026, 11:39h.
- NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill isn’t saying whether she thinks Atlantic City casinos should be smoke-free
- The governor instead supports the New Jersey Legislature settling the debate
- Some casino workers contend their state constitutional rights are being violated
If New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) has it her way, the state Legislature will settle the debate on Atlantic City casino smoking this year.
A grassroots coalition of casino workers lobbying as CEASE, or Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects, has fought for years to make the nine casinos in Atlantic City smoke-free. The 2006 New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act provided an exemption for casinos to designate up to 25% of their gaming floors for tobacco use.
The law, which banned indoor tobacco consumption in most other workplaces, did not require the casino smoking sections to be cordoned off by a physical wall or barrier. As a result, secondhand smoke lingers to supposedly smoke-free sections.
CEASE members contend that their state constitutional rights are being violated. They cite a section of the New Jersey Constitution that reads, “All persons are by nature free and independent, and have certain and unalienable rights, among which are … pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness.”
A lawsuit brought by CEASE and the United Auto Workers, which represents table game dealers, slot attendants, techs, casino hosts, and cage cashiers, remains ongoing.
Governor Wants Remedy
During a recent interview with the Press of Atlantic City, Sherrill didn’t take a position on the casino smoking dispute, but she did express her hopefulness that the matter will soon be resolved.
There’s litigation right now, but they really need legislation,” Sherrill said.
“I’ve heard from workers on both sides, people who want the smoking ban, people who don’t, and are worried about business. I think what we need to do first and foremost is make sure we’re protecting the safety of workers and at the same time ensuring that we have jobs and we’re continuing to grow the economy here,” the governor explained.
Atlantic City casinos, collectively voicing their opinion in Trenton as the Casino Association of New Jersey, are fighting to retain their indoor tobacco privileges. The trade group argues that a smoking ban would push some gamblers to Philadelphia, where most casinos allow cigarettes and cigars at slot machines and table games.
Paired with the looming threat of three downstate New York casinos, the Atlantic City casino lobby says now is not the time to implement regulations that threaten the city’s gaming and economic future.
US Smoking Rates
The American Lung Association reports that the smoking rate among adults has dropped 73% between 1965 and 2022. Smoking rates fell 17% between 2017 and 2022. The lung health advocacy says 56 million Americans are former smokers.
Still, there remain an estimated 29 million smokers in the US. As smoking rates continue to decline in the US, big tobacco has turned to nicotine pouches, where the industry is making billions off the smokeless product.
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