State lawmakers, members of the Senate health committee, heard testimony Monday on a measure to close the loophole that allows smoking on casino floors in New Jersey. Casino workers say second-hand smoke is making them ill, forcing a choice between a paycheck and their health. Opponents of a ban are concerned neighboring states like Pennsylvania could take business and jobs from New Jersey.

“It is an affront to casino workers that the boardwalk and the beach just outside the casino doors are smoke-free, while the workplace where they spend eight hours or more each and every day, breathing in toxic cigarette fumes, is not,” said Sen. Shirley Turner (D-Mercer).

Christina Renna, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey, said of a ban, “I believe it’s inevitable that it will happen. And, quite frankly, it’s probably the right thing to do. But the timing has to be right … I would argue that the timing is not right today. The casinos haven’t returned to pre-pandemic levels.”