Atlantic City considers total smoking ban in casinos
smoking
smoking [Enlarge Image]
By Gene Koprowski
A controversial proposal to completely ban smoking in Atlantic City is being considered by the health-conscious city council -- and if passed, would be the first total smoking in ban for all casino floors here in the seaside resort's history.


Four council members are co-sponsors of the measure, and only one more member is needed to pass the law. There are nine members of the city council overall.

The full smoking ban arrives on the first anniversary of the partial smoking ban which took effect April 15, 2007. That limited smoking to 25 percent of the casino floors .

The one-year old law required the 11 casinos to build enclosed smoking structures on their properties, but. thus far, not one of the Atlantic City casinos has built them, according to the state Department of Commmunity Affairs.

Savvy casino operators have said they were waiting to see if a full ban on smoking eventually would be taken up by City Council before committing "millions of dollars" to building the enclosures.

City officials say what they want are smoking lounges that would be just like those found in airports.

A total ban on smoking would apply to casinos that do not build the lounges.

Some casino worker groups have aligned with non-profit health organizations to back the smoking ban.

"The state is continuing to discriminate against us, and we are depending on the City Council to live up to its integrity and obligation of protecting the health, welfare and safety of its citizens," said Nate Chait, a long-time casino employee who works as a table games

Casino operators have argued many of their patrons smoke and that a full ban on smoking would lead to a further erosion of gaming revenue and profit.

Andrew Zarnett, a gambling industry analyst with Deutsche Bank AG in New York, wrote in a note to investors earlier this month that a full smoking ban "would have a detrimental effect on Atlantic City revenues as visitations decline in the short term."

Zarnett blamed a recently enacted full smoking ban in Illinois and a weak national economy for a drop in revenue last month for Illinois casinos.


© Copyright 2008 Online Casino Crawler This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


Vegas Casino Online Vegas Casino Online brings the best progressive online casino games to your home,office or your preferred place to be.






Features
Casino Tales-All about casino games, tips of your favorite online casino right here...

Why Gamble Online?”: There are some ways to gamble, in a land based casino or online casino. Right now we are going to give you  some reasons why it is better to do it online. More...

Casino Glossary: Find out gambling terms, terminology used by the professionals. More…


Search our Site

Search

SlotsPlus
We had a winner!!!
Janet M.
of Switzerland
Hit the Jackpot $133,293.48
in Slotsplus




Bonus Codes: The nice thing about an emerging & competitive industry is that consumers tend to get courted rather nicely. What bonus did you received? Learn More...


Cash-Out Options:
In an actual casino cardroom, the term cash out is fairly literal. Learn More…

Read more articles related with the marvelous world of Online
Casinos here...

Progressive Games @
Las Vegas USA Casino

Feel in Las Vegas at
Vegas Casino Online