A year after suspending a smoking ban put on Atlantic City casinos, city officials are reviewing the policy while hoping to salvage gambling revenues already in full plummet.

Atlantic City lawmakers had planned for a casino floor smoking ban to start out last fall, only to search out that gaming revenue was already dipping precariously as a result of onset of the recession. After a year's free pass to continue allowing smoking, the ban suspension is ready to expire, raising the question of ways much damage the casino industry will suffer if non-smoking again becomes the guideline for brand spanking new Jersey gambling venues.

Anti-smoking advocates care only about preventing others from smoking, asserting that the ban on casinos will save lives, worth any amount of cash. But in a town which lost almost twenty percent of its gaming jobs last year, some are asking what good it is going to do them to respire smoke-free air while within the unemployment line.

The ban was implemented for 2 weeks last year, in which already-steep casino revenue declines doubled. Now, with revenues already down fifteen percent, gaming operators are fearful an entire smoking ban will be the last nail in lots of casino coffins.

Since returning to the rule of thumb that a maximum of 1 / 4 of the casino floor can permit smokers, areas featuring smoking in casinos have done markedly more business than non-smoking, indicating a powerful desire by patrons to retain smoking areas.

Politicians and casino operators alike fear that if anti-smoking groups have their way, they're going to reverse the normal flow of gambling revenue from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, completing the collapse of latest Jersey gaming. Pennsylvania allows smoking on 1/2 gambling floors.

Published on September 29, 2009 by VirginiaMaddox

Read More... [Source: Atlantic City Casino News]