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After passing a bill (back in April) forcing casino gaming floors in Atlantic City to go smoke-free earlier starting October 15, the Atlantic City City Council voted 5-4 to delay the ban. Why? The Press of Atlantic City reports the five members wanted "to help ease a decline in casino revenue, a move industry executives say could prevent further employee layoffs." However, one person yelled, "You gave us a death sentence!" and some union members heckled a union leader who supported the delay. And one man who worked at the Tropicana for 26 years before being laid off last year and blames his lung cancer on secondhand smoke from the job said, "It will never be a good time for (the casinos). It will come back next year and it will be the same story."
Smoking at Atlantic City Casinos For Another Year
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"However, one person yelled, "You gave us a death sentence!""
Last time I checked, in America if you don't like where you work? You can quit.
You can smoke almost anywhere but there aren't many casinos to gamble in. So in this case the gambling habit will trump the smoking habit and the casinos will be just fine. Maybe they're afraid than when people step outside for a smoke that they'll realize it's actually sunny and beautiful outside and they won't come back.
These children need to grow up. They knew the hazards when they took the job. You don't hear Marines crying about people shooting at them all the time.
Kojak said:
Last time I checked, in America if you don't like where you work? You can quit.
That would easy if the economy was better and you had a decent chance of finding a job that payed as well as the casinos which is not the case for South Jersey. For most of these workers, quitting would force them to move away from the region. That makes quitting less desirable now, doesn't it, especially during these uncertain economic times.
Even if they delay the total smoking ban on the gambling floor, revenue will continue to go down because of the crappy economy, people will still get laid off, 1 or 2 casinos may close and council members who voted in favor of the delay will still see their kickbacks decrease.
The pressure to have a total smoking ban won't go away either, so why not just take the medicine & see what happens. A couple of casinos may go under, people will get laid off, maybe even some of the workers who heckled the council members who voted for a delay but eventually the gamblers who smoke will come back realizing that staying home sucks. They'll adjust to interrupting their gambling with smoking breaks in heated smoker lounges which are a lot better than standing outside in the cold & rain (something most restaurant patrons have to do now).
Eventually, they'll be "replaced" thanks to their habit by non-smoking gamblers, including their children & grandchildren. Casinos will continue to look for other sources of revenue, focusing on families just like what Las Vegas casinos did in recent years. Most importantly, casino patrons will finally benefit from the clean air. Delaying the ban is just delaying the inevitable.
I go to the casinos for adult entertainment (not that kind). The casinos are dens of inequity, stop trying to turn them into disney. Bottom shelf drinks and no smoking, that is why I will be going less often.