Smoking ban could severely affect $5 billion-a-year gaming industry

The Atlantic City Council decided unanimously to ban smoking in local casinos. This decision comes after local anti-smoking protestors and casino workers lobbied against an exemption that permitted smoking on the game floor.

The new law, which could be put into affect as early as April 2007, will make Atlantic City the largest casino in the world with such a ban.

Commenting on the new law, Joseph Weinert, vice president of international gaming consultancy for the New Jersey-based Spectrum Gaming Group, said: “What really concerns the gaming industry is not that they will lose business because of the smoking ban in Atlantic City, but that they will lose business to other casinos in neighboring states where smoking isn’t an issue. They now want to see an even playing field for all of North America,” he added. “People all over the world are watching what the effect of this ban will be”.