Smoking banned on AC casino floors

2008-04-09 14:29:51

Gamblers at casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey will not be able to smoke on the gaming floor starting tonight.

For the past year, smokers have only been allowed to light-up in certain sections of the casino floor, equivalent to 25 per cent of the space, the Associated Press (AP) reports.

However, the latest rules will remove this all together and smoking will be banned in all gambling areas.

Atlantic City's council failed in an attempt to have smoking banned outright in 2007 when casinos argued that total prohibition would badly affect the industry, which is struggling to cope with competition from gaming resorts in nearby states.

Indeed, the AP reported that some casinos will cut down on the amount of complimentary food given to guests in the future because it is affecting profits.

The 25 per cent rule was a compromise between the casinos and the council, but the city now appears to be moving towards the types of restrictions that have hit gaming industry revenues in other states across the US.