Lamont White
5 QUESTIONS
Lamont White
Co-founder , Casino Employees Against Smoking ’ s Effects ( CEASE )
Lamont White has been a casino dealer for over 38 years . Born and raised in Atlantic City , White and several other dealers got together following the pandemic to urge casinos to continue to ban smoking . They weren ’ t successful , so they founded Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects ( CEASE ), which is dedicated to eliminating smoking in Atlantic City casinos . There was hope that a bill prohibiting smoking in New Jersey casinos would pass following the November elections , but it failed to happen . He spoke with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at G2E in Las Vegas in October before the measure was turned away . To hear and see a full version of this interview visit GGBMagazine . com .
1
GGB : What inspired you and your fellow dealers to form CEASE ?
White : Before the pandemic , I basically accepted the smoke just like everybody else . It was part of the job . Once the pandemic hit and we had a year of smoke-free gaming , that was a game-changer . We heard that they were going to bring smoking back . I was invited to a smoke-free rally , and when I got there , I was a little disappointed at the turnout because I know how much dealers hate smoke . I thought there would be thousands of people there .
So we decided to put a second rally together . We started a Facebook page and within a week we had 500 people . Within two weeks we had over 1,000 people . We convinced a couple of influential politicians to show up and we had two media outlets show up as well . Several hundred people showed up , dealers and other casino personnel . We later got support from the Americans for Nonsmokers Rights as well .
2
At last year ’ s East Coast Gaming Congress they had a panel on smoking . How did that turn out ? It didn ’ t work out how the Gaming Congress planned . The president of the Casino Association of New Jersey was supposed to be on the panel but he pulled out at the last minute , and they couldn ’ t find anyone else to replace him to give the casino industry point of view .
The only representative of the gaming industry was an executive from Greenwood Racing , the owner of Parx casino in Pennsylvania , which is already non-smoking . But what can they say ? You can ’ t sit there and say we support making money more than we support the health of our employees and people ’ s lives .
3
How about the New Jersey legislature when they held hearings on the smoking ban ?
The same thing happened at a Senate hearing and an Assembly hearing . At both hearings the casinos didn ’ t send anybody . Nobody from any casino came and represented their side .
4
Tell us what it ’ s like dealing at a craps or blackjack game with smokers .
It ’ s hard . It ’ s like torture . It gets into your nose , your mouth and your eyes , you ’ re not allowed to turn away . They ’ re only three feet away from you . It ’ s bad when it ’ s just one cigarette , but more than one is terrible . I ’ ve experienced five cigarettes at one time and three , four cigars at one time . That ’ s the worst . It ’ s really inhumane . And of course the health consequences are terrible .
5
CEASE is now active in several states outside of New Jersey , including Pennsylvania and
Rhode Island . Tell us how you ’ re being received there and what the response to the new studies has been . The study that the New Jersey casinos count on uses lots of old data — more than 10 years old . They talk about jobs being lost . But we now know since the pandemic that ’ s no longer the story for sure . They ’ re holding onto old ideas . It has to change . People don ’ t want to work in casinos because a 30-year-old kid now has never been in a smoking restaurant , never been in a smoking bar , never been on a smoking airplane . The fact that casinos are the last place in America where you ’ re allowed to smoke indoors is just total hypocrisy .
“ They Said It ”
“ We are eager to extend this warm hospitality to the Las Vegas community , recognizing the vibrant and diverse tapestry that makes this city truly unique . Our aim is to be more than just a place to stay or play ; we want to be an integral part of the community , a place where residents and visitors alike can find a sense of comfort , enjoyment , and entertainment .”
CALENDAR
— David Horn , vice president and general manager of Durango Casino & Resort , in a statement applauding the recent grand opening of the property
February 6-8 : International Casino Exhibition ( ICE ), ExCeL London , U . K . Produced by Clarion Events . For more information , visit icelondon . uk . com .
February 25-28 : SiGMA Eurasia , InterContinental Dubai Festival City , Dubai , UAE . Produced by SiGMA Group . For more information , visit sigma . world .
March 5-7 : SBC Summit Rio , Windsor Barra Hotel , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil . Produced by SBC Events . For more information , visit sbcevents . com .
March 12-15 : Africa Gaming Expo , Eko Convention Center , Lagos , Nigeria . Produced by Africa Gaming Expo Ltd . For more information , visit agelagos . com .
April 8-11 : Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention , Anaheim Convention Center , Anaheim , California . Produced by the Indian Gaming Association . For more information , visit indiangamingtradeshow . com .
April 17-18 : East Coast Gaming Congress , Hard Rock Hotel & Casino , Atlantic City , New Jersey . Produced by Spectrum Gaming Group , Cooper Leveson and PlayDoit . For more information , visit eastcoastgamingcongress . com .
8 Global Gaming Business JANUARY 2024