Union asks judge to dismiss anti-smoking lawsuit targeting Atlantic City casinos

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Atlantic City's main casino workers union on Monday asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a different union that seeks to ban smoking at the city's nine casinos. “A balance needs to be reached that will both protect worker health and preserve good jobs.” DeCaprio said a total smoking ban would be “catastrophic” for Atlantic City, adding that between 50 to 72% of all gambling revenue won from in-person gamblers comes from smoking sections. “A total smoking ban would place thousands of jobs at risk, endangering the wages, health and welfare benefits and retirement benefits of Local 54 members and their families,” the union wrote in its court filing. Local 54 also noted that nearby casinos in Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut allow smoking, and stand to take a sizeable chunk of Atlantic City's business if smoking were ended It predicted 3,000 Atlantic City casino jobs would be lost in such a scenario.