A.C. to vote on requiring casino smoking rooms

ATLANTIC CITY - A controversial measure that would exile smokers at this city's 11 casinos to enclosed spaces where casino workers would not have to venture will be taken up by the City Council next week.

Four of nine council members are cosponsoring the ordinance. A fifth council member's support would be enough for passage.

The full nine-member council will vote on Wednesday, April 9, at its 5 p.m. meeting.

The current partial smoking ban, known as the 75-25 rule, resulted from a compromise reached last year because of the powerful casino industry's vigorous opposition to a full ban. The partial ban allowed smoking on 25 percent of the casino floors. The new measure would allow smoking only in designated areas.

The casino operators have argued that many of their patrons smoke and that any ban on smoking would result in lower revenue and profit.

Casino workers are dissatisfied with the current rules on smoking because "they have to work in those smoking areas," said Councilman Steven Moore, one of the four cosponsors.

"The concentration of smoke in those smaller areas is much more detrimental than it would be if you had 100 percent smoking and the smoke dissipated throughout the entire floor."

He said the only thing changing from the current law is "we're allowing for smoking lounges that would have to be built - and would encompass 25 percent of the casino floors, similar to lounges found in airports." No gaming would be available in those areas.

Under the current partial smoking ban, employees are required to tend to the smoking areas as they exist now on 25 percent of the casino floors.

"One of the objections now is that employees have to go into the current lounges and perform their duties, whether gaming or cleaning duties," Moore said. "We want to change that.

"You won't have employees who will be required to go into the lounges to tend to them," he said. "The casinos will have cleaning crews instead to simply go in there and clean them."

At least one longtime Atlantic City figure, Donald Trump, blasted last year's partial smoking ban and the proposal for an outright ban.

"It's having a negative impact in Atlantic City," Trump said at yesterday's topping-off ceremony for the Taj Mahal's new $255 million, 467-foot high tower. "When you have people who have smoked for 45 years and all of a sudden they're told they can't anymore, they go to another casino in a different state."

Larry Mullin, chief operating officer and president of the Borgata, Atlantic City's top grossing casino, said a full smoking ban was something the seaside gambling mecca eventually would have to deal with, like the rest of the country.

"If there is to be a full smoking ban, we will see an impact," he said yesterday. "But it's something that will be coming not just to our marketplace, but it's going to be something nationwide."

Pennsylvania casinos are also on the hot seat. A special state House-Senate conference committee will meet tomorrow in Harrisburg to recommend a statewide policy on smoke-free workplaces, which may include casinos, bars and taverns.

Casino owners have been pushing strongly for a bill that would allow smoking in at least some portions of a casino. They've argued they need a partial ban to compete with casinos in nearby states such as New Jersey, West Virginia and New York.

The new Atlantic City measure had been set to be introduced last Wednesday. But it was pulled at the last minute because council president William H. Marsh was not aware of all of the changes, according to Moore.

View the topping-off ceremoney for the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City via http://go.philly.com/tajmahalEndText