NJ Casino News: Weekly Roundup

Get the latest casino news and updates in New Jersey for this week (February 19, 2022 – February 25, 2022).

New Study Says Smoking Ban Could Cost 2,500 Jobs

A recent report from the independent gambling research firm Spectrum Gaming Group says that the proposed smoking ban in Atlantic City casinos would create a loss of up to 2,500 jobs and nearly 11% of casinos’ revenue. The Casino Association of New Jersey commissioned the report, which included among its findings that smokers account for 21% of Atlantic City gamblers and are worth more than non-smokers because they tend to lose more money and spend more on non-gambling items. Various casino workers criticized the report for prioritizing casino profits over workers’ health:

“This study, paid for by the casino industry, shows once again that they care more about outdated business practices than they do about the lives and health of their workers,” [Nicole Vitola, a Borgata dealer and a leader of the group pushing for a smoking ban] said. “Casinos’ blatant disregard for our well-being is disgraceful, especially after they just received tens of millions of dollars in tax breaks from the state.”

The group Americans for Non-Smokers’ Rights cited a July tribal gambling conference in Las Vegas at which panelists reported that revenue lost during the first year of smoking bans rebounded in subsequent years to higher than what it was before the bans.

They also cited a comment last fall from Bill Miller, president of the American Gaming Association, that some casinos have enacted smoking bans “without detrimental effects.”

Judge Rules PILOT Law Violates Consent Order With County

According to a recent decision by Superior Court Judge Joseph Marczyk, the state violated the terms of a 2018 consent order between itself and Atlantic County when it enacted a new payments-in-lieu-of-taxes law. The county had sued the state to stop the amended PILOT law, which drastically lowered casinos’ PILOT payments by removing sports and internet gaming from gross revenue calculations:

In his order, Marczyk did not enjoin the state from implementing the new PILOT law “except to the extent they are subject to sanctions and/or damages” to be determined in a March hearing before Judge Michael J. Blee.

“What this means is they are going to decide now what damages we can collect and how we are harmed by this,” said Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson.

No one from Gov. Phil Murphy’s office responded immediately to a request for comment.

Hard Rock Distributes $10M in Employee Bonuses

After a record year that saw Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City earn more than half a billion dollars in gross gaming revenue, company executives are doling out bonuses to its union and non-union workers totaling more than $10 million. The average bonus payment will be about $4,100, with each worker’s payment dependent on their position and seniority:

“We look at things differently here at Hard Rock, and that’s been the root of our success,” [Hard Rock International Chairman Jim] Allen told a packed crowd inside Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena. “We want to focus on building companionship at work and creating a sense of family among our Hard Rock team members.

“This is what separates us and keeps us as industry leaders,” Allen concluded. In addition to the bonuses, Hard Rock gave away $50,000 in cash drawings and two lucky winners won new cars.

Hard Rock’s annual bonus budget for 2020 totaled $2 million.

Immersive Van Gogh Show Coming to Hard Rock

Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience has sold more than 2.5 million tickets globally, and it will be opening at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on July 8. Visitors can see more than 300 iconic Van Gogh masterpieces, including “Starry Night” and “Sunflowers,” come to life via 3D projection technology and music to create a full sensory experience:

Guests are transported into Van Gogh’s world through an all new, exclusively designed space comprised of three areas that segue fluidly into each other. The Education Room leads into the unique Waterfall Room which flows into the Immersive Experience Room. Freed from their frames, Van Gogh’s spectacular paintings appear on projection-swathed walls inviting guests to fully immerse themselves into the incredible detail of his work and be enveloped in his ever-shifting, swirling and colorful flowers, cafes and stunning landscapes. And, hearing the artist’s own dreams, thoughts and words set to a symphonic score drives an unmatched narrative experience.