- Efforts persist in several states: Smokefree casino legislation efforts remain alive in NJ, IA, KS, and RI, with the potential for votes to take place in 2025. Looking back to 2024, no new statewide casino smoking mandates were implemented.
- Smokefree properties increase: A total of 17 states are 100% smokefree for commercial casino and gaming properties. If we include tribal properties in the tally, just seven states check in at 100% smokefree.
- Shareholders will have their say: Investors in four major casino operators — Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Penn Entertainment, and Wynn Resorts — are expected to vote on smoking proposals in 2025.
State-by-state bill tracker
🚭 States with bills/filings for smoke-free casinos
Over the past two decades, the push for smokefree casinos has steadily gained momentum. This has coincided with broader efforts to eliminate indoor smoking entirely. To date, 28 states have laws in place that do just that, with 10 of those states going even further and including e-cigarettes on the prohibited list.
The bans have not been all-encompassing. Using New Jersey as an example, the Smoke-Free Air Act went into effect in the state in 2006. It’s now an accepted fact at bars, restaurants, workplaces, and other public places across the state. However, there remain designated smoking areas at the state’s nine casinos.
It has been a long-running hot-button issue in the Garden State, and there are ongoing legislative efforts to resolve it once and for all. New Jersey is not alone in permitting smoking in casinos. If we look at commercial and tribal casino and gaming properties across the US, just seven states are 100% smoke-free.
Other states pushing to join that group include Iowa, Kansas, and Rhode Island. The table below summarizes the current status of active smoke-free legislative efforts.
| State | Bill | Details | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | A2143 – Moen Jr. | Would eliminate smoking ban exemption for casinos and simulcasting facilities. | Jan. 9, 2024: Referred to Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee |
| Iowa | HSB 148 – House Commerce Committee | A bill for an act relating to the elimination of the exemption of gaming floors from the prohibitions of the Smokefree Air Act. | March 5, 2025: Committee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 781 |
| Kansas | HB 2252 – Committee on Health and Human Services | Would amend the Kansas Indoor Clean Air Act to prohibit smoking on the gaming floor of a lottery gaming facility or racetrack gaming facility and amend the definition of smoking to include the use of an electronic cigarette and smoking marijuana. | Feb. 4, 2025: Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services |
| Mississippi | HB 361 – Clark | An Act To Create The Mississippi Smoke-free Air Act Of 2025; To Express Certain Legislative Findings Regarding The Effects Of Secondhand Smoke And Other Risks Of Smoking; To Define Certain Terms; To Prohibit Smoking In Enclosed Public Places And Places Of Employment, In Private Clubs, In Enclosed Residential Facilities And In Certain Outdoor Public Places And Places Of Employment | Feb. 4, 2025: Died in committee |
| Rhode Island | HB 464 – Tanzi, Chippendale, McGaw, Edwards, Shallcross Smith, Ajello, Fogarty, Hull, Blazejewski, and Shekarchi | Would repeal the exemption granted to pari-mutuel facilities and casinos from the smoke-free workplace requirement and provide for a one-time appropriation of $1 million to inform patrons of the smoke-free policy within the casino. | April 10, 2025: Committee recommended measure be held for further study |
There are hopes that a full vote on the matter in NJ will happen in 2025, while efforts to do the same in other locales continue. Advocates for smoke-free casinos include public health organizations, labor unions, casino workers, and shareholders of public gaming companies. Opponents include some casino operators, industry groups, and select lawmakers.
Those pushing for smoke-free casinos cite issues including the health risks of secondhand smoke, bans that are enforced elsewhere, and enhanced appeal for non-smoking patrons. Meanwhile, opponents are concerned about potential economic impacts as patrons who are accustomed to being able to smoke freely in designated areas might no longer visit.
Beyond full statewide bans on smoking at casinos and gaming properties, individual operators can take the ball and implement their own policies. For example, scores of properties in the gambling mecca of Las Vegas permit smoking. However, ParkMGM, located in the heart of the Vegas Strip, has made headlines by going smoke-free.
📍Geographic distribution of smokefree casinos
Smokefree casinos are spread across nearly every region of the United States, but adoption is highest in certain states due to either state law mandates or tribal policies. The table below summarizes the regional breakdown:
| Region | # of 100% Smokefree Properties | Notable States (Smokefree Casino Count) |
|---|---|---|
| West | ~580 | Montana – 260, California – 101, Colorado – 43, Washington – 57 |
| Northeast | ~220 | New York – 171, Maryland – 17, Massachusetts – 6, Connecticut – 14 |
| Midwest | ~170 | Illinois – 39, Ohio – 30, South Dakota – 36, Wisconsin – 20 |
| South | ~100 | Florida – 46, Oklahoma – 19, Louisiana – 15 |
📈 Trends in smokefree casino adoption
The movement toward smokefree casinos in the United States continues to accelerate in 2025, driven by a combination of state legislation, tribal leadership, and evolving consumer preferences. Based on data compiled by the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation (ANR), over 1,000 gaming properties across the country now operate with 100% smokefree indoor air policies. This includes a wide mix of commercial casinos, racinos, card rooms, and tribal gaming facilities.
Here are the key trends shaping this movement in 2025:
1. State law mandates lead the way
Many smokefree casinos exist because of state or local laws that prohibit indoor smoking in public venues, including gaming facilities. States like New York, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Ohio require all commercial casinos to be 100% smokefree indoors. As a result, many large operators — including Caesars, MGM, and Penn Entertainment — have smokefree properties in these jurisdictions, even though they still allow smoking in other states where it remains legal. Currently, at least 17 states still permit indoor smoking in casinos, meaning more progress is possible if legislative efforts continue.
2. Tribal casinos are driving voluntary adoption
Tribal gaming operations have played a significant leadership role in smokefree adoption. More than 170 tribal-run casinos have gone smokefree by sovereign decision. Examples include the Navajo Nation (all casinos smokefree), Gila River Indian Community in Arizona (four smokefree properties), and the Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin (six smokefree casinos). This trend gained momentum after 2020, as many tribal nations prioritized public health and community well-being in their gaming environments.
3. Major casino corporations are participating, but not enough
Some of the largest gaming companies in the U.S. now include smokefree properties in their portfolios, largely due to state-level mandates. Caesars Entertainment, Penn Entertainment, MGM Resorts, Cordish Companies, and Hard Rock International all operate smokefree casinos. However, in most cases, these are properties in states that legally require smokefree indoor spaces. Voluntary moves are rare but notable: Park MGM in Las Vegas, for example, became the first resort on the Strip to go entirely smokefree by choice. While major corporations haven’t fully embraced smokefree policies across the board, they have shown willingness to adapt where laws or market signals support the shift.
4. Regional differences are significant
The Western and Northeastern U.S. lead in smokefree casino coverage. Montana, California, Colorado, Washington, New York, and Maryland have dozens or even hundreds of smokefree venues due to statewide bans or industry-wide voluntary compliance. In contrast, many Southern and Midwestern states lag behind, with fewer smokefree options and less regulatory pressure. Still, progress is evident: Florida racinos are smokefree by law, and some cities in Louisiana and Oklahoma have enforced local or tribal bans that result in smokefree gaming floors.
5. Public sentiment and business impact
Smokefree advocates argue that player preferences are shifting in favor of clean air, and several operators have reported no drop in business after implementing smokefree policies. Some tribal leaders and casino executives have described the change as aligned with “public demand for clean air,” although exact wording varies. This perception is influencing smaller operators and local jurisdictions to consider similar policies, especially post-pandemic.
Background of smokefree casino legislation
The debate over smokefree casinos is not a new one. Advocates have been pushing for reform for decades, with opponents staunchly stating their case every step of the way. In 2002, Delaware became the first state to fully prohibit smoking in all state-regulated gambling facilities as part of a broader Clean Indoor Air Act.
In 2008, the topic became part of the national conversation as the debate raged in New Jersey. The Garden State passed the Smoke-Free Air Act in 2006, which effectively outlawed indoor smoking across the state. Notably, casinos were exempt, sparking a contentious debate that continues to this day.
Atlantic City, home of NJ’s nine casinos, tried to quiet the uproar in 2007 via a local ordinance that restricted smoking to 25% of the gaming floor. The following year, AC kicked it up a notch and extended the ban to 100%. Just a few months later, it shifted back to 25%. Efforts to get back to 100% continue, some 17 years later.
The latest bill has passed out of committee but has not advanced any further as of yet. Iowa and Rhode Island are among the other states that continue to seek outright bans. Other states, including Colorado, Maryland, and Massachusetts, have put the issue to rest and successfully banned smoking in casinos altogether.