Legislation & Litigation

Gaming Legislation

On January 10, 2009, the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States overwhelmingly passed a resolution to promote and support 100% smokefree gaming. the resolution was offered by NJ GASP. Read the press release and the resolution.

North American jurisdictions with legislation requiring smokefree gaming

Global alphabetical list of jurisdictions with legislation requiring smokfree gaming

Global regional list of jurisdictions with legislation requiring smokfree gaming

Casinos smokefree by law or voluntarily (from Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights)

Atlantic City municipal ordinance regulating smoking in casinos

Air quality in casinos currently configured as required in the Atlantic City ordinance (news release and charts)

Using local laws to enhance and augment the New Jersey Smoke Free Air Act

Gaming Litigation

 In July 2012, a lawsuit filed in 2010 was dismissed against Caesars Entertainment Corp of Las Vegas. The suit was filed by a mother claiming her son who was a Harrah’s dealer for 15 years died of leukemia contracted from secondhand smoke exposure at work.. The case was dismissed on technical legal grounds about whether or not Leukemia is an occupational disease. The suit was dismissed before the determination could be made on whether Harrah’s had a duty to protect employees from secondhand smoke and whether it breached that duty. Read a Las Vegas Sun news article about the lawsuit.

In December 2010, Vince Rennich, a 25-year veteran Tropicana casino dealer in Atlantic City settled his lawsuit for $4.5 million. Mr. Rennich filed his lawsuit in 2005, maintaining that the secondhand smoke in the casinos caused his lung cancer. He never smoked and had 1/3 of his lung removed due to lung cancer. Read more in the Associated Press story. On May 9-11, 2011, the inaugural National Smokefree Gaming Symposium was held in Las Vegas at a 100% smokefree Marriott facility. GASP moderated the legal panel which included Vince Rennich and his attorney Jeffrey Carton. Read a Las Vegas Sun article about the symposium that predicts future lawsuits against casinos from workers trying to obtain a smokefree environment.

Section on “litigation” from Economic Facts of Smokefree Gaming by New Jersey GASP.

Section on “Lawsuits by Casino Workers” from Trends in Smokefree Gaming by New Jersey GASP or the powerpoint presentation on the same subject.