A New Jersey judge has rejected a suit seeking to outlaw smoking in the state’s casinos, setting the stage for a high court showdown on the issue.

A union of casino workers and a grassroots antismoking group claimed in a suit that excluding casinos from a statewide indoor smoking ban violates the constitution by granting a special privilege to a corporation, association or individual. But the judge said the suit did not establish a basis for relief under the constitutional provision against special laws.