Atlantic City Passes Casino Smoking Ban

Ending a battle that lasted more than a year, the AC City Council voted 9-0 Wednesday to end the last major loophole to a tough statewide ban in New Jersey on smoking in public buildings that had conspicuously exempted gambling halls.

Patrons, however, will still be able to light up in unstaffed smoking lounges away from the table games and slot machines if the 11 individual casinos choose to build them. The ban takes effect Oct. 15, 2008.

Casino workers -- many wearing T-shirts with the slogan "Nobody deserves to work in an ashtray" -- burst into applause when the votes were counted and chanted, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

More than two dozen states nationwide regulate smoking inside casinos, eight ban smoking altogether inside the gambling halls, and two others will impose a total ban beginning in 2009.

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