Atlantic City to ban smoking in casinos

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., Dec. 29 (UPI) -- The Atlantic City Council voted Friday to delay making New Jersey casinos smoke-free until April.

That means the statewide ban on most public indoor smoking will reach into the gambling halls on the first anniversary of its taking effect, April 15, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The state measure specifically exempted casino gambling halls, while banning smoking in restaurants, taverns and other indoor public places.

Once the council amended the no-smoking ordinance to give casinos more time to prepare, the measure received unanimous approval. The ordinance is scheduled for a final vote Jan. 24.

"It's poetic justice that we will implement this law one year exactly after the New Jersey Legislature presented the state with a flawed law banning smoking," Councilman Eugene Robinson said.

While the casino industry has been muted in its opposition to the smoking ban, executives have said that Atlantic City could lose smoking gamblers to Connecticut, Las Vegas and other states where they can still light up.