Will Pennsylvania Casino Smoking Be Extinguished in 2026? Advocates Seek Ban

Posted on: January 6, 2026, 09:18h. 

Last updated on: January 6, 2026, 09:25h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.
  • Democratic lawmakers in Pennsylvania continue to seek a casino smoking ban
  • Republicans have largely sided with the casinos on claims that a smoking ban would lead to job cuts

Today marks the start of the 2026 session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The debate regarding whether indoor casino smoking should be allowed to continue will soon light back up.

Pennsylvania casino smoking tobacco
A file photograph shows a person smoking a cigarette and emitting dangerous secondhand smoke. Legislation in Pennsylvania to force the state’s 17 brick-and-mortar casinos to go smoke-free will be debated again this year in Harrisburg. (Image: Shutterstock)

Pennsylvania’s Clean Indoor Air Act, passed in 2008, included exemptions for licensed slots facilities where up to 50% of the gaming floor space can be designated for tobacco consumption.

House Bill 880, introduced last April by state Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny), would amend the 2008 law by removing the casino exception. HB880 has 23 cosponsors, though all are Democrats.

The bill passed the state House Health Committee, which Frankel chairs, in October before stalling. In the Senate, Sen Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) is leading companion legislation to amend the Clean Indoor Air Act and force casino gamblers to smoke outside.

Heavy Opposition 

The casino industry says a smoking ban would lead to revenue, job, and tax losses. Republicans, who control both chambers of the legislature, have largely sided with the casino lobby on those claims.

Anti-smoking advocates argue that smoking no longer benefits a casino’s bottom line. They point to the fact that Parx Casino, located north of Philadelphia in Bensalem, which is a smoke-free casino by choice, remains the richest casino among the 17 in the state.

Even if smoking would hurt revenue, anti-smoking advocates say workers’ health should outweigh casino profits.  

Secondhand smoke is a risk factor for chronic illness and even death, and smoke-filled casinos have been shown to have some of the highest concentrations of toxic indoor air,” Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) wrote in a letter to the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus.

The ANR added that Black workers and women “are statistically more likely to be at risk for chronic health conditions such as heart and lung disease, COPD, asthma, and many forms of cancer.” The ANR is calling on state lawmakers to support HB880.

The ANR supports the CEASE (Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects) chapter in Pennsylvania. CEASE additionally has chapters in New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia, Kansas, Nevada, and Michigan. 

Smoke-Free Gaming

Smoke-free casinos are available in several states, including Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, and South Dakota.

Smoking rates in the United States continue to decline. The American Lung Association says just 11% of US adults are smokers, down from over 42% in 1965 and half the 22% rate in 2002.

The smoking rate in Pennsylvania, however, is considerably higher than the national average at 14.9%. Utah has the lowest smoking rate at 6.7%. West Virginia has the highest at 21%.  

“Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, accounting for close to half a million deaths each year,” the American Lung Association reports.