New Jersey’s casino industry has been running for decades. Being in the industry for such a long time comes with tremendous challenges and wins. In the cases of challenges, New Jersey has always bounced back bigger and better.
One of the latest setbacks New Jersey casinos faced was the Coronavirus pandemic, which led to the closure of all casinos countrywide. The pandemic led to many other things, including lawmakers’ revelation about workers’ health in the New Jersey casinos.
In line with that, the push to end smoking inside casinos has intensified. Earlier this week, a report about a bipartisan group of lawmakers emerged telling that they were working to end smoking in gaming floors. The lawmakers are supporting a possible new bill that would outrightly ban smoking inside gambling floors.
But, not everyone supports the smoking ban. According to Joe Lupo, banning smoking in casinos has resulted in a decline in visitors to casinos. Lupo is the president of Hard Rock casino. He also said that banning smoking would have several repercussions, including financial implications in the casino industry.
Lupo also added that Atlantic City casino would be at a disadvantage because neighboring casinos in Pennsylvania allow smoking in casinos. The Hard Rock casino president also noted that 20,000 employees relied on customers’ tips.
If customer volume decreased due to the smoking ban, it would hugely affect the employees. Meanwhile, casino operators have to wait to find out whether the bill will gain more support or not.
Flourishing Gambling Market in New York
New Jersey has been one of the best gambling markets in the Eastern U.S. for the past few decades. But, things are likely to change, some wondering how long New Jersey has before it loses its crown.
New York is likely the biggest competitor. For years, the state has been expanding gambling. Commercial casinos were given the green light in 2013, while the first sportsbooks started to take bets in 2019.
Until several weeks ago, the New York gambling market was not a threat to New Jersey. With the legalization of mobile sports betting, things have changed. In fact, it needed 16 days for New York to surpass $1 million in handle on sports betting. It might not take long before a casino is launched in New York City, taking a toll over New Jersey.
Today, New Yorkers do not have to cross over into New Jersey to bet on sports. Several analysts feel that the New York gambling market has finally matched New Jersey’s. This will likely lead to significant drops in New Jersey sportsbooks revenue.
But, this has not stopped New Jersey casinos from expanding. In fact, most are renovating their properties. For now, the competitive Northeastern gambling market remains unknown. As the year progresses, we will get clearer statistics on how the two states are performing.
Will New Jersey Succeed in Banning Smoking in Casinos?
It is unclear how New Jersey officials will push for the banning of smoking in casinos. Some might refer to Las Vegas casinos. Several casinos on the Strip have banned smoking in casinos.
This led to revenue losses to these gaming venues. If they take Las Vegas as its example, New Jersey might not implement a state-wide ban on smoking at casinos. Meanwhile, the push to ban smoking in casinos will work or not rely on time.
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