A Bust for Smoking Gamblers

Smoking gamblers in Atlantic City aren’t too happy today. Though New Jersey passed a statewide ban on smoking in indoor public places in 2006, casino gambling areas were exempt...until now. Yesterday, Atlantic City’s city council voted unanimously to ban smoking from the gambling floor and the mayor is expected to sign it into law in 10 days.

This is a huge victory for casino employees, who were tired of coming to work and breathing in cigarette smoke all day. However, casino workers fear they will lose business as a result. But if smoking can be banned in malls, restaurants, planes and bars as long as it has and business hasn’t dropped, it’s not likely that these casinos will shut down.

Or maybe smokers need the point more clearly spelled out to them—SMOKING IS BAD. And deadly. If gamblers would quit smoking, they would not only improve their health but they would have a hefty chunk of change to continue playing blackjack on the weekends. It’s a win-win situation. [The New York Times]