Atlantic City Casinos Contain ‘Hazardous Air,’ Media Analysis Claims

^{Smoking remains a common pastime in casinos, but new analysis shows that Atlantic City casinos have hazardous air levels that put workers and nonsmoking guests at risk. (Photo: Blackday / Alamy)}

A survey of air quality in Atlantic City casinos found levels of particulate matter in the air that are considered “very unhealthy" or “hazardous,” according to an analysis from NJ Advance Media. 

The research comes against the backdrop of a contentious debate over whether smoking should continue to be allowed at Atlantic City casinos. Operators fiercely defend allowing the practice, while worker unions are split on the issue.

Casinos Say Air Filtration Systems ‘Over-Designed’ to Handle Smoke

NJ Advance Media reported that it spent more than 10 hours surveying the inside of all nine Atlantic City casinos using a portable air quality monitor. According to its reporting, the air quality showed concentrations of particulate matter far in excess of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, sometimes even in non-smoking areas. 

According to Terry Gordon, a pulmonary toxicology expert at the NYC Grossman School of Medicine, the levels found in the survey would be high enough that workers and patrons are likely to show evidence of exposure in blood or tissue samples. He also noted that the casino population “probably includes more susceptible people than a typical workplace, so more concern.”

“It’s clear they are going to be inhaling nicotine and carbon monoxide at that level,” Gordon told NJ Advance Media.

In a statement in response to the data collected in the survey, the Casino Association of New Jersey said it was unable to comment on the specifics of the results, as it did not observe or participate in the testing. 

“However, we do understand that air quality is extremely important to the health and safety of our valued employees and guests, which is why we have invested in state-of-the-art air filtration systems that circulate fresh air,” the statement read. “Independent experts reviewed our air filtration system designs, confirming they were over-designed to handle 100 percent smoking capacity, even though smoking is only permitted on 25 percent of the casino floor.”

Legal Efforts Attempt to End Casino Smoking

In 2024, a group of casino workers filed a lawsuit aimed at ending the exception to New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act that allows casinos to offer smoking sections even as most public indoor areas in the state cannot. However, that lawsuit was dismissed by Judge Patrick J. Bartles, who said that the narrow exception still allowed workers ample opportunity to seek employment in smoke-free environments.

Those against banning smoking in the Atlantic City casino industry have expressed fears that doing so might cripple the resorts. However, there is a growing body of evidence that smoke-free gaming might be a positive for casinos that choose to embrace it.

An attempted 2008 implementation of smoke-free casinos in Atlantic City saw revenues drop nearly 20 percent in the two weeks after the new rules went into place -- an incident that those against banning smoking often bring up. However, supporters of the bans on smoking point out that newer studies show no negative impact from banning smoking on gaming floors. 

More informal surveys have found majority support for banning smoking in Las Vegas casinos. Many states have already made their casinos smoke-free without any obvious ill effects, though some operations in states that allow smoking say the decision allows their resorts to differentiate themselves from neighboring competition.

Other arguments have been made against smoking in casinos as well, with some studies finding a link between smoking and problem gambling habits.

“Given this association between smoking and problem gambling, [the National Council on Problem Gambling] believes that making casinos smoke-free is likely to reduce the incidence of problem gambling and improve public health,” the NCPG wrote in a letter to New Jersey lawmakers in 2022.