Will Atlantic City Casinos Go Smoke-Free Under Gov. Mikie Sherrill?

US Representative Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), who unexpectedly defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli on election day, will soon be moving from Washington to Trenton to serve as the next governor of New Jersey.

Sherrill has been a member of Congress since January 2019 and is currently the governor-elect of New Jersey. Since 2010, the former lawyer from Virginia who is now a politician has lived in New Jersey.

Sherrill received about 1.8 million votes, or more than 56% of the total, in what was expected to be a competitive gubernatorial contest. With only 43% of the vote, Ciattarelli performed poorly.

Sherrill's victory has mostly been seen favorably by Atlantic City casino workers who want to work in a smoke-free atmosphere. According to Sherrill, she would be in favor of amending New Jersey's 2006 clean indoor air statute, which exempted casinos and parimutuel betting establishments.

 

Mirrors and smoke?

Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who also supported making the nine casinos in Atlantic City smoke-free, will be replaced by Sherrill. Murphy, however, stated that it's a complex issue and that the casinos' talking points—such as assertions that a smoking ban would result in lower gaming income and thousands of job losses—must be taken into account.

These claims are refuted by CEASE, or Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects, which contends that their health should always come before financial advantage. At a town hall held by the Madison campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University last year, Sherrill stated that "younger people don't smoke cigarettes" in support of making gamblers go outside to light up.

CEASE is certain that Sherrill, in contrast to Murphy, will succeed in passing a smoking ban in casinos.The grassroots group said it is excited to "work with Sherrill to close the casino smoking loophole that has left casino workers breathing toxic air for far too long."

There are other locations than Atlantic City where casino patrons can smoke cigarettes and cigars. Casinos in Pennsylvania, a nearby state, are allowed to set aside sections of their gaming floors for tobacco usage.

Casino smoking is outlawed in various sections of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, notably in Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, and New York.

 

Casino Lobby

The casino business, which has a lot of clout in Trenton, will push state legislators to maintain the current smoking laws. The nine casinos' interests are represented in the state Legislature by the Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ), which will work to protect the industry's smoking rights.

"A pure smoking ban is one of the greatest threats to our business,” CANJ President Mark Giannantonio, who is also the head of Resorts, told North Jersey last year.

According to a research commissioned by CANJ, a smoking ban in Atlantic City might result in the loss of 2,500 casino employment.

In 2024, in-person casino revenue decreased by 1.1%. The market has improved in 2025; through September, gross gaming revenue from table games and physical slots increased by 2.5%. In just nine months, the casinos along the shore have won $2.2 billion.