July 4th Marks Four Years Since Casino Workers Were Needlessly Exposed to Secondhand Smoke Again—and They Are Still Left Waiting

CEASE Calls on New Jersey’s Next Governor to Finish the Job and Deliver on Long-Overdue Promises to Protect Workers

For Immediate Release:
July 3, 2025

Contact:
ceasesmokingnj@gmail.com

Atlantic City, NJ — Over the past four years, Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) has been fighting to close the loophole in New Jersey’s Clean Indoor Act and extend smokefree protections to casino workers. This fight shouldn’t have been necessary—after issuing a temporary moratorium on smoking in casinos during the Covid-19 pandemic, Governor Phil Murphy lifted the restriction on July 4, 2021, forcing workers to once again bear the brunt of toxic secondhand smoke. On the fourth anniversary of Governor Murphy’s devastating decision, the worker-led movement is still fighting for our right to clean air.

“During the first year of the pandemic, it became abundantly clear that eliminating smoke from casinos benefits everyone — there was a noticeable improvement in the health and quality of life of casino workers, and casinos in Atlantic City prospered despite industry leaders’ sky-will-fall narrative,” said Pete Naccarelli, longtime Atlantic City table games dealer and co-founder of CEASE. “Despite the evidence, Governor Murphy brought indoor smoking back anyway, proving that our representatives didn’t care about workers’ health. Four years later, the evidence is clearer than ever that casinos don’t have to sacrifice workers’ health to foster economic success — in fact, almost 80% of South Jersey voters say they would be more likely to visit a casino if it were smokefree. So why are we still fighting for our basic right to breathe clean air in the workplace? The most patriotic thing New Jersey lawmakers can do this 4th of July is pass smokefree legislation as soon as possible.”

The past four years have seen progress, but there is still much work to be done to fully close the casino smoking loophole. Bills to close the casino smoking loophole have been introduced in both the State Assembly and the Senate, with S1493 clearing a committee vote last year. Meanwhile, a majority of the legislature has indicated support — and Governor Phil Murphy has repeatedly vowed to sign the bill if it reaches his desk—yet the bill has stalled.

Ahead of the New Jersey gubernatorial primary election, CEASE met with candidates for governor and General Assembly to ask for their commitment to work for passage of smokefree legislation. As Representative Mikie Sherrill and former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli assume their respective parties’ nominations for New Jersey governor ahead of the general election in November, CEASE looks forward to more productive conversations with each candidate to make a full-throated endorsement of smokefree casinos.

###


Casino Employees Against Smoking (Harmful) Effects (CEASE) is a group of thousands of casino dealers and other frontline gaming workers that formed after indoor smoking returned on July 4, 2021 in Atlantic City, NJ and has expanded to states around the country. CEASE is fighting to permanently remove smoking from our workplaces.

See what casino workers say about working in secondhand smoke: the Real Deal

See what casino workers’ kids say about their moms and dads who work in secondhand smoke: kids of CEASE

Read a 2021 press release for background on lawmakers and the tobacco industry in NJ