Atlantic City - Gamblers on the floors of Atlantic City casinos will soon have to give up at least one vice: smoking. Ending a battle that lasted more than a year, the City Council voted 9-0 Wednesday to end the last major loophole to a tough statewide ban on smoking in public buildings that had conspicuously exempted gambling halls. But patrons still will 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.

Atlantic City, New Jersey (AP) -- Two years after New Jersey banned smoking in most public buildings, smoking opponents are optimistic that the last groups not covered by the law -- casino workers and patrons -- could soon enjoy its protections as well. The City Council is expected to give final approval next week to a total smoking ban on the 11 casino floors. Smoking would still be permitted in enclosed smoking lounges where there would be no gambling.

Atlantic City, New Jersey (AP) -- For Bob Phelan, having a cigarette while gambling in an Atlantic City casino approaches a religious ritual. "I come here to gamble, have a drink and a smoke," he said. "It's the holy trinity." But people like casino dealer Adrien Huggins find working amid swirling cigarette smoke can be hellish. "It's hard to breathe," said the 21-year dealer at Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino. "It burns your eyes, your nostrils. I get sick a lot."

The nine-member Atlantic City Council is expected to take up a controversial measure later today that will prohibit smoking in all the casino floors here for the first time in the seaside resort’s 30-year history of gambling. Four council members are co-sponsors of the measure, and only one more member is needed for passage. The call for a full smoking ban arrives on the eve of the first anniversary of the partial smoking ban that took effect April 15, 2007.

Atlantic City - City officials shaping the resort's new master plan are considering a recommendation to designate a large section of land for casino development, potentially bolstering a Marina District already bulging with plans for more gaming activity. The triangular tract lies between Huron Avenue, Brigantine Boulevard and the White Horse Pike and is adjacent to the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa.

Donald Trump will be holding on to his three Atlantic City casinos for a while longer. Trump, who had engaged in talks with potential buyers on at least two occasions last year, said that his the gambling halls are no longer for sale. "We're not looking at that. We're doing very nicely." Left unanswered was whether Trump had taken the casinos off the market...

Atlantic City - Last minute changes to an ordinance originally designed to outlaw smoking in resort casinos now would limit smoking to non-gaming lounges. Recent discussions among City Council members and some casino officials altered plans to propose a full casino smoking ban today, instead settling with a ban on all gaming floors and the threat of a full ban if smoking lounges are not built within 90 days of the law's passage.

Atlantic City - Year two, round two. City Council will again attempt to outlaw smoking in city gaming halls at next week's meeting as last year's partial ban approaches its first anniversary. "It was somewhat self-executing in that the one-year anniversary is almost here and little has been done to comply with the partial ban," Councilman Bruce Ward said Friday. Ward co-sponsored a proposed full ban in February 2007 before officials amended the ordinance in the face of intense opposition from top officials from the resort's 11 casinos.

Atlantic City - Caesars Atlantic City is introducing a new USD 25,000 gambling chip. The N.J. Casino Control Commission approved the chip Wednesday at Caesars' request, although every gaming hall in town can now offer their own USD 25,000 chip. The USD 25,000 chip replaces the USD 20,000 chip as Atlantic City's highest-value chip. At Caesars, the USD 25,000 chip will be decorated with the casino's signature horse and chariot design.

Atlantic City, New Jersey - A court has ruled that an admitted problem gambler who voluntarily put his name on a list barring him from Atlantic City's casinos for life cannot take his name off the list. The man, identified only as S.D., put his name on the self-exclusion list in 2004, which bars him from Atlantic City's 11 casinos. But what he didn't know was that the names on the list can be shared with casinos in other states, who also can bar the individuals from gambling there.

New Jersey casino operators moan that smoking restrictions in Atlantic City caused many of their best customers to flee to the smoker-friendly casinos of Pennsylvania and Connecticut. However, a legal opinion issued in Connecticut may allow lawmakers to extend a state smoking ban to the American-Indian casinos. Tribal casinos, though, claim that smoking restrictions would be a threat to tribal sovereignty.

Atlantic City, New Jersey - The city's 11 casinos would be able to temporarily police themselves if state government ever shuts down again under a bill being pushed by a state senator who is a former Atlantic City mayor. As tempting as that might sound for casinos to cut corners - or worse - while state inspectors are not on the job, the law would enable the governor to shut down a casino for serious wrongdoing.