Casino Smoking Opponents in Atlantic City Say NJ Gov. Phil Murphy Can Cement Legacy

Casino Smoking Opponents in Atlantic City Say NJ Gov. Phil Murphy Can Cement Legacy

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) is being urged by opponents of casino smoking in Atlantic City to utilize his last months in office to support legislation that would ban indoor tobacco use on the nine gambling floors.

Murphy has consistently stated that if legislation to ban smoking in Atlantic City casinos were to reach his desk, he would sign it.  However, his detractors claim that he has been unwilling to take the initiative and has instead given in to special interests and the casino sector.

CEASE, or Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects, is urging the former Goldman Sachs CEO to take matters into his own hands because Murphy is term-limited and his days are numbered. According to the grassroots group, smoke-free regulations benefit casinos rather than harm them, and more significantly, they safeguard both employees and patrons.

"Governor Murphy can and should push for bills that he and his administration have committed to prioritizing — like 100% smoke-free air in casinos. Casino workers have been fighting for the last five years to close the loophole in New Jersey’s Clean Indoor Act and extend smokefree protections to casino workers, and now, Governor Murphy only has a few months left to show them his support,” Pete Naccarelli, a longtime Borgata table game dealer and a CEASE co-founder, said in remarks to Casino.org.

Murphy's term will come to a conclusion on January 20, 2026, when his successor takes office.

Casino in Atlantic City  

Smoking The 2006 indoor smoking statute in New Jersey gives casinos a carveout, enabling businesses to set aside up to 25% of their gaming area for cigars and cigarettes.

Casinos are not required by law to maintain smoking rooms in enclosed spaces with independent ventilation systems.  As a result, secondhand smoking permeates all nine of the New Jersey shore's casinos.

According to a survey conducted in April by the Washington, DC-based polling and strategy firm Normington Petts, 83% of Southern New Jersey voters are in favor of banning smoking in the casinos in Atlantic City. Nearly 60% of respondents stated that they "strongly" support the removal of secondhand smoke at resorts.  But according to the casino industry, a smoking ban would reduce in-person sales.  Given that casino licenses for New York City are about to be granted, that might be disastrous for a couple of resorts.

Although CEASE members dispute the industry's assertions, they nevertheless believe that the well-being of employees and customers should come before the financial interests of casino corporations.

"Polls have shown that there is overwhelming support for smoke-free casinos. Governor Murphy has the opportunity in his final months in office to prove himself a champion of his constituents’ health by pursuing clean air. This is a chance for Governor Murphy to decide what his legacy will be for years to come,” Naccarelli continued.

“Will his administration be one that supported New Jersey workers?” the Borgata dealer asked.

Gubernatorial Odds for 2025 

Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Miki Sherrill are vying to succeed Murphy in 2025.

Sherrill now serves as a congressman for New Jersey, representing Morris County in the 11th district of the Garden State.  Murphy defeated former state legislator Ciattarelli by a margin of 3% in the 2021 gubernatorial contest.

Sherrill is the overwhelming favorite, according to bettors on prediction websites.  Ciattarelli and Sherrill have not responded when asked if they are in favor of banning smoking in Atlantic City casinos.