By Hanna Park
(ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.) New Jersey's yearlong pandemic ban on smoking inside Atlantic City casinos will end Sunday, just in time for the Fourth of July holiday, as the state continues to ease its coronavirus restrictions, NJ.com reports.
Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday that the smoking ban in casinos will be lifted under a law he signed last month, ending New Jersey’s public health emergency over COVID-19.
While Murphy, a Democrat running for re-election, greenlighted gamblers to smoke in casinos again, he remained “open-minded” to a pending legislative measure to permanently ban smoking inside New Jersey's casinos.
“Would I be constructive on legislation?” Mr. Murphy said during a news briefing, adding, “I would be very constructive on that.”
Casinos, one of the state’s most powerful economic drivers, were among the first businesses to close in March 2020, as the state became a hotspot of the virus. When Murphy allowed them to reopen last July, indoor dining and smoking were still prohibited.
The governor's remarks came two hours after dozens of casino workers and anti-smoking advocates gathered in Atlantic City to call for a permanent smoking ban, ABC News reports.
New Jersey has also banned smoking on beaches and public parks. Casinos are exempted from a state law banning most indoor smoking, while an Atlantic City law restricts smoking to no more than 25% of the casino floor.